"If men were angels, no government would be necessary." ~ James Madison

James Madison
Originally uploaded by mdsnbelle.

That James Madison, he was a pretty smart guy. Not only was he tasked with writing a beautiful document that outlined the rights and basic laws of our country (the Constitution for those who are just now catching up), but he was smart enough to marry a woman who knew the importance of her position as the President's wife and truly defined the role of the First Lady.

I often wonder what James and Dolley Madison (and Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and George Mason and John Hancock and the Adamses...) would think of what's going on in the country today. Time after time, the Constitution of the 21st century has been threatened with use not as a document to promote the rights of the American public, but instead, to prevent others from pursuing the basic rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) that should be afforded to all Americans. We are fighting a global war on terror, but no one can clearly tell us who the the enemy is. Is it Usama bin Laden, who organized and promoted the attacks on this country in 2001 and 1993 or Saddam Hussein, who never did? We've got a President who mows over the Constitution because he's a "war time President," but is he really making the decisions that are best for the people or because he's desperate to get himself out of the hole that he's dug for himself?

No, men are not angels. Therefore, a government process in which the voice of the common citizen is heard is definitely necessary, more than ever.

Today is Primary Election Day in Maryland, and elections will be held throughout the country culminating in the general election on November 7. If you're a white man (1776, 1787, 1830), a man in a minority ethnic group (1870 -- African Americans, 1947 -- Native Americans), a woman (1920), even if you can't read (the literacy requirement was dropped in 1965), and over 18 (1971 -- the ONLY good thing to come out of the Vietnam War), take a few minutes this fall to check out the candidates and cast a vote for one of them. Your voice matters, make it heard.