By Patt O’Neill, February 13, 2023
When first asked to write about Valentine’s Day, I thought someone’s mind had slipped a gear. But I eventually saw a connection with campaign finance reform, so please bear with me.
History of the Day
Before the gaudy chocolate-and-roses commercialism of today, Valentine’s Day honored a 3rd-century saint (“Saint Valentine,” 2023). By legend, Valentine restored a blind girl’s sight. However, the Romans later executed him for stubbornly evangelizing, and February 14 marks the date of his martyrdom.
Medieval Europe associated Valentine with romantic love, included in the ideals of chivalry. That code of honor combined a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners. We could certainly use a strong dose of honor in today’s politics. Unfortunately, a form of commercialism has ruined our political system, as well as cheapened romance.
A Thoroughly Broken System
Big money essentially buys politicians in a system that breeds dishonor. Voters know this. An old meaning of the word corruption is decay, rot. The legalized corruption of today’s government is like a cancer, and is ultimately fatal to democracy. We are fast approaching the end stage of this disease.
As warriors for the people’s power of the vote, Wolf-PAC volunteers know that the survival of our republic depends on restoring electoral integrity. But how do we convince jaded and weary voters that we can restore honor to the system?
Transcending Partisanship
Integrity means whole and undivided, yet the country seems hopelessly divided. Too many are seduced into blind partisanship. However, a recent Gallup poll shows that more people identify as independent than either Republican or Democrat (2023, Jones). Independent voters are now at 41%, with Rs and Ds tied at 28%.
This is a hopeful sign, because independents could be fertile ground for planting a non-partisan idea. Obviously, Americans are frustrated with the two-party duopoly. Independents could be the troops we rally to restore honor to politics. Without them, we could lose our democracy to a heartless kleptocracy. Uniting people against corruption could be the cure for the blind partisanship infecting our citizenry.
Restoring Honor
How can we restore honor to our electoral system? Rather than appeal to politicians to be honorable, we should acknowledge that a corrupt system awards corrupt behavior. By putting campaign finance controls in the Constitution through a 28th Amendment, we strike at the root of the problem. By restoring integrity to our electoral system, we make it possible for individuals to act honorably.
For love of country!
Wolf-PAC calls out and battles corruption every day, so join the fight! Volunteer your time and become a supporter. Help Wolf-PAC mend our broken campaign finance system – and the heart of America’s democracy.
Acknowledgments
The Wolf-PAC all-volunteer Communications Team created this post!
- Editing by Debbie Augustine and Brian Martel
Sources
Saint Valentine. (2023, February 3). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine
Jones, J. (2023, January 12). U.S. Party Preferences Evenly Split in 2022 After Shift to GOP. Gallup.com. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://news.gallup.com/poll/467897/party-preferences-evenly-split-2022-shift-gop.aspx