Three weeks ago, an unidentified Congressperson called the Bureau of Prisons and had Tim DeChristopher thrown in the hole. We launched a campaign, and you responded passionately. Just 24 hours and thousands of phone calls later,  Tim was moved back into minimum security. We’d still like to know who did it, and we’ll continue investigating.

The problem is, it could have been any number of them.  We may ID one fox, but the foxes are still occupying the henhouse. This kind of unaccountable power is routine–just like it was in the Colonies back in the late 1700s.  Maybe it’s time we do more than petition the Crown. Maybe it’s time to act like our Founders. And maybe this time, we’ll do it right.

Introducing The People’s Congress

“We the People must organize ourselves into a new deliberative body of Americans if we are going to win the struggle for Climate Justice, Human Rights and Economic Rights.”

Inaugural General Assembly July 25 – 29, 2012. Washington, DC

Fixing America How is it that in America polls indicate that the preferences of a vast majority of Americans on many important issues are not reflected in our National Policies? Do we have a representational democracy in America, or have a very few wealthy and powerful citizens, corporations, and elected officials essentially taken over the government to further support and protect their own private interests? On average, over 80% of Americans disprove of the job Congress is doing. Only a small majority of Americans vote, while fewer still participate regularly in any political movement. American’s ask themselves daily if our system of governance is broken. If that is the case, can we expect it to eventually repair itself? If it can, will it happen before climate change takes us past the point of no return? It’s a very important question if you advocate changing the course this country is on. Are we stuck with a badly dysfunctional political system which cannot respond to the popular demands of it’s citizenry? What can Americans do to reform, replace or transform our government into a more functional and participatory democracy? Can we do this before our climate collapses and war and economic disparity become institutionalized? The answer may surprise you, but first, let’s consider these 3 questions: If the Egyptian people can create a new constitution, why can’t Americans? If the Icelandic people can write a new constitution, why can’t Americans? If South African’s can form their own Congress in order to achieve real political power, why can’t Americans? The answer of course is that Americans can alter their government, if they organize to do so. But just how do Americans organize to make the will of the People the Law of the land? The founding fathers created a limited form of democracy, with-holding the right to vote from several segments of society in order to “protect the common good”, as they saw it at that time. Since the imperfect inception of our country, the foundation of a truly democratic society has been thoughtully improved upon. Hard won battles over slavery, the right of women to vote and the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s are only a few examples of how our country has struggled to expand the role of democracy in America. America was not a perfect country from it’s start and it is still undergoing significant changes as we evolve towards a more equitable society. So, why is progressive change so difficult to come by now? What strategies for meaningful reforms are we as a people missing in this age of historic discrepancies between the rich and poor? Can we fix America? The People’s Congress is an organization with a very specific Mission. We have created a framework for the essential transformation of our system of governance because we understand that until significant constitutional and structural changes are made, our Democracy will be in peril. It is time for the American people to address the ongoing dysfunction in our political system because the system itself cannot. We the People must organize ourselves into a new deliberative body of Americans if we are going to win the struggle for Climate Justice, Human Rights and Economic Rights. The current government is “occupied” by people and institutions with too much power. They are not listening to the voice of the People. Until that changes, the struggles to preserve our climate and our future will be lost to endless debates, meaningless elections and even less effective protests. It’s time to stop complaining. It’s time to demonstrate our collective ability to govern. Please endorse our Mission.