I was almost finished writing a post for this afternoon when this one by TokyoSand over at Political Charge caught my eye, and it is on a topic that is too important not to share. Please take a minute or two to read her entire post about another way in which the Republican Party is working to rob us of a voice in our government. Thank you once again, TS!
Restricting access to voting is one obvious way Republicans are making America less democratic, but they are also working behind the scenes to eliminate another way regular citizens can get their voices heard.
Because we are a representative democracy, the most obvious way to get our values and voices heard in our federal or state government is by electing politicians who hold our same values. But there’s another tool we have that lets us practice direct democracy — yes, a way to get something done that doesn’t require our politicians writing and passing a bill.
It’s the ballot initiative process.
Initiatives are when citizens propose a new law by collecting enough signatures and then putting it on the ballot so voters can make the final decision. Ballot initiatives are how grassroots groups got minimum wage increased in Arkansas and Missouri, and how Arizona and Montana legalized recreational marijuana, despite strong Republican majorities in those state legislatures.
Filosofa's Word 
it just never ends.
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Sigh. Nope.
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It seems the Republicans are now a very evil side effect of the democracy. Thank you for sharing the posting. Michael
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They are intent on only one thing: power. I firmly believe that there is a contingent of the Republicans who truly wish to set aside the Constitution and turn this nation into an autocracy. I hope enough people see this for the danger it is and fight hard to keep them from their goal. xx
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Oh, i am sure there are enough people for saving the constitution. xx
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Some days I wonder … sigh. xx
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xx
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I think the Democrats are now going to have to come back hard in every was possible The Conservatives can’t b allowed to gain advantages because the Democrats tend to play fair. Fight fire with fire and somehow force the important bills through.
Cwtch
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More and more I’m inclined to agree, for the Democrats’ attempts to meet halfway, to compromise, have been met with scorn, so perhaps it’s time to stop trying to be “Mr. Nice Guy.” Otherwise, we will wake one morning to find that the country we thought we knew no longer exists.
Cwtch
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Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News and commented:
Citizen initiatives were long promoted by Progressive Republicans and others in the early 1900s as a means to give citizens more control over government – now, Trumpians are trying to make government more powerful over citizens by taking away voting rights – https://ballotpedia.org/History_of_initiative_and_referendum_in_the_U.S.
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Many thanks for the re-blog, Ned, and thank you for the historical link! Fascinating! The Republican Party is the minority in this country, and for the past couple of decades have been turning into a party that does not support the people who elect them and pay their salaries. So, rather than make some changes in their ideologies, their platform, they have decided to lie, cheat and steal to remain in power. I am deeply concerned about what will happen over the next few years.
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