Move Over, MoveOn.org
Normal Group of People Launches CitizensNotSubjects.com
PITTSBURGH -- Today, in the rolling hills of Southwestern Penn-sylvania, a
new advocacy group, CitizensNotSubjects.com, was launched by four normal
people amid no fanfare whatsoever.
Strangely absent from their ranks are any lawyers, career politicians or
wealthy billionaires looking to assault the political process with their extremist brand of ide-ological
lunacy.
D. Michael Lovic, President of the fledgling outfit, says they are a humble group with a huge vision - providing a conservative counter-point to the ultra-powerful MoveOn.org. The group's three-fold vision includes: decentralizing government; helping normal peo-ple get elected; and challenging the two ruling parties with a loud, collective voice.
This collective voice, he says, has already been displayed in recent months.
"We all saw what it could do months ago when Americans shut down Congressional switch-boards, fax lines and e-mail severs over the so-called 'Comprehen-sive Immigration' bill. We won that fight by becoming such a loud voice that Congress could no longer ignore us. For once, they feared for their power and ulti-mately bent to the will of 'We The People.' This is the Federal Gov-ernment in its rightful place -- subject to -- or dare I say, afraid of, the citizenry."
and make a real impact. Said Lovic, "I could climb the tallest building and scream as loud as I want, or spend all of my disposable income on media ads and I would simply be a single drop in the ocean. But if 250,000 of us stood on our roofs and screamed, or if 100,000 people each donated $20 to a media campaign fund, the results would be instantaneous. 250,000 screaming citizens would send Representatives scrambling to appease. And $2 million with very little overhead would buy a lot of the kinds of radio and television ads Americans would love to see."
Citizens, Not Subjects is at work on three videos for release on the web as well as gathering signatures on a letter they call their Ransom Note to Republicans . "As the idea gains traction and people decide to partner with us, we'll be able to make better media products and release them on a much larger scale. Over the past two years, I have heard people say time and time again, 'I'm frustrated and concerned, but what can we do?' We believe that 'Citizens, Not Subjects' can be the answer to that question for Conservatives."
In the meantime, Lovic says, the group will continue to meet, update the website and plan future endeavors, dreaming of a collective voice hundreds-of-thousands strong, shouting so loud that Washington has no choice but to listen.
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." James Madison
It was the Immigration bill defeat that acted as the initial spark for the group. "We began thinking, 'Why couldn't Americans do this on every issue? Why does it have to stop with Immigration?"
They decided it didn't have to stop -- that if Conservative Americans pooled their money and their voices together, they could affect every issue and effectively reign in those "out-of-control Representatives."
The group is rounded out by Jeff Kellner, an Elementary School Principal, Homeschooling Mother Laura Lindsay, and Linda Kellner, an Insurance Agent and wife of Principal Kellner.
"We
really are that normal," Lovic said with a coy smile.
"The cohesive element in the group is that we are all thinkers. Because of
this, we tend to talk a lot -- and as we talked about the political scene, we
realized a couple things: One, no one in Congress looks anything like us.
There are no Carpenters, Teachers or Farmers. Two, we constantly find
ourselves unable to wholly support anyone running for office and must choose
between the lesser of two evils. And three, our Federal Government is
absolutely out of control -- whether that be in terms spending, political
payoffs or accountability. They are failing miserably on all
levels."
The group is confident that there
are enough
Conserva-tives, dissatisfied like themselves, that would be
willing to join
forces
By PAUL PLUM
for VoiceOfThePeasants.org
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