John Shaw
Republican Candidate - Florida Senate
The Federally Democratic Republic of the Socialized Liberally Conservative United States of America
08-16-2009
John Shaw
On Friday, August 14, 2009, I filed paperwork with the Florida Division of Elections to officially declare my candidacy for District 6 State Senator. There was nothing much different this time around in terms of what it is I needed to file, as the Statement of Candidacy form can apply to both State Representative, and State Senator. I humbly appointed my mother, Mary, as I did last year, to be my campaign treasurer, and where I normally put “State Representative, District 9,” I simply printed “State Senator, District 6.”
There was a distinction, however, on a particular line in the form which set aside my previous campaign from my current.
Following a brief moment of reluctance bundled with a resilient hope and understanding, I wrote an entirely different word in the box labeled “Party Affiliation.”
Dear Citizens of Florida:
I can no longer hide behind the veil of Independence when it comes to modern-day American politics. It is an easy and quick escape route to simply choose no party at all when dodging political scorn from your peers. However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that a person who defines himself as “independent” has only a shot in the dark at receiving any sort of serious approval when seeking office - for, when was the last time America stood for independence?
A series of events led me to file for office under such different pretenses. The first was a simple error on my part – I had actually gone to file in the month prior, having mistakenly filled out the wrong form that designated me as a potential candidate for the office.
A few days after my initial erroneous visit to the Division of Elections, I sat at my computer, and took another good, hard look at the list of candidates who had already filed for the office in the months prior. There were three, and they were all listed under the Democratic Party. The first name was as easily recognizable as the latter two: Loranne Ausley. Loranne, for those who are unaware, served for the last 8 years as your District 9 State Representative – the office in which I ran for last year. While I personally know nothing about her, she received loving praise during a conversation between me and a dear friend, whose judgment I trust completely when it comes to defining the merits of a good human. Whether or not these attributes dictated her role in politics is clearly irrelevant, as it is 2009, and it would be ostensible for me at this point to mention that our typical system of progression and political ladder-climbing is not particularly serving an intrinsic purpose in America.
Closely following this logical pattern, it was unsurprising to me to see another name on the list: Curtis Richardson. Mr. Richardson, for those who might be additionally unaware, served as your District 8 State Representative – the neighboring district to District 9.
Allow me to sidetrack for a moment: Districts 8 and 9 comprise what most would generally refer to as Tallahassee. Legislatively representing most of Leon County, along with parts of Jefferson and Gadsden Counties, the Districts do not particularly seem to be split in terms of any sort of logic or justification – instead, and to the naked eye, it would appear as though they were separated by means of an entropic fissure:
Upon closer inspection, however, one might find a much more depressing illustration.
The map pictured above is an example of something called “gerrymandering.” It is illegal in the United States of America. Gerrymandering is a process under which congressional or legislative districts are deliberately unaligned and apportioned to favor an electoral advantage. The now-apparent reasons for which our own districts were split apart include ethnicity, income, age, and political affiliation. Here we have, in the upper right hand corner, the Northeast part of Tallahassee – often associated with white, suburban, and wealthy. The remainder appears to be about 75 percent of Tallahassee, spanning from its Northwest border counter-clockwise up to its eastern, usually recognized as an area primarily middle- to lower-class. Furthermore, all three of Tallahassee’s most prominent colleges – Florida State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and Tallahassee Community College – have all been shoved into the bowels of District 9’s ridiculously large and illogically disproportionate manifestation of Florida’s capital. And, according to a few maps, it is easy to point out that most of the area included in District 9’s borders is currently uninhabitable. However, the clear majority of power in terms of Tallahassee’s legislature rests solely within the safety of its 9th District, with disregard and contempt for its obviously less competent fulcrum – District 8. The purposes for which these Districts were conceived were entirely political, and without care or consideration for Florida and its citizens.
District mapping according to the Senate was thankfully designed in a somewhat less confusing manner, yet indications of gerrymandering would not be difficult to postulate:
I came very close this year to choosing to run again for State Representative. However, I’m confident now that I’ve made the correct decision, since my constituents and I will no longer be victim to the illegal districting we’ve inherited by the grace of our forefathers.
Last but not least on the list of the legislative candidates was Bill Montford. Bill Montford is a name no Tallahassee native my age could forget; as the Superintendent of Leon County Schools, his policies seemed about as boring to me as a child as his speeches. Nevertheless, he obviously had something good to say, as he was appointed CEO of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents in 2006. As it is still very early in terms of the election, I have no clue as to what Bill’s ideas and suggestions might be to alleviate our growing concerns as citizens of the State of Florida, but I feel safe enough to assume that his agenda – as well as Loranne’s and Curtis’ – will seek only to further the currently unsalvageable state of politics in Florida, and the United States alike.
Fortunately, the absence of a Republican candidate from the current list of potentials served as a unique opportunity for me, however a difficult choice, at that. I’ve often stated that the use of labels, especially in politics, can hinder or seriously destabilize the structure of a proper form of government. Having to rescind my words is not something I do often, and I’m certainly not about to make any exceptions here; I firmly state that political labeling is dangerous, and if I cannot seem to make a point by verbalization, perhaps I will need to demonstrate my argument by example.
It took me all of about 20 minutes to walk into the Supervisor of Elections office to change my party affiliation – the majority of the time spent walking, due to the difficulty finding parking spaces available in downtown Tallahassee. I could not help but imagine what the lady behind the counter must have wondered when I asked to change my party affiliation. Perhaps she thought, “He must have really had it with his previous party!” or, “Gosh I hope he’s not choosing the bad one…” I smiled and thanked her as I left, and continued afoot up to the State Library, where the Division of Elections is located on the third floor. I handed in the required documents (2 pages), and began my descent back towards my car as an officially filed candidate. Walking the distance allowed me an opportunity to gather my thoughts in order to present you a good reason as to why I am choosing to run as a Republican, instead of an Independent. This proclamation shall serve as the modus ponens to my logic.
This country was founded as a Republic. Therefore, I am a Republican. I cannot and will not stand for our continual and habitual use of the Democratic misnomer any further; we are simply not a democracy. The terms “democratic,” “democrat,” and “democracy” were not once mentioned in the manifestation of the entire United States Constitution, nor can the term be found in the Constitution of Florida. Furthermore, perhaps without intention, the use of this seemingly inappropriate political device has accounted for not only the financial slavery of America and its citizens, but the stripping of our own birthright freedoms, henceforth destroying any peace of mind that the authors of the Constitution attempted to grant us.
According to Webster’s, a republic can be defined as “a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law.”
Similarly, yet entirely differently, a democracy can be described as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.”
Can you spot the difference?
The difference can be found in the fundamental usage of the word “people.” Under a republic, the government is ‘For the People, By the People’ – under a democracy, the government is, simply, the people. It may be difficult to differentiate between, but democracy is a form of mob rule, or, rule without consideration for the individual. Our forefathers were unquestionably horrified by the thought of America falling into the hands of democracy – not due to any sort of ignorance by its citizens, but rather by the chaotic and unfavorable nature in which laws might come to pass.
Allow me to illustrate an old anecdote:
Three wolves and two sheep were in a meeting and decided to have lunch. In a Democracy, after lunch there would have only been three wolves left.
In a Republic, all five would have phoned out for Chinese.
I very rarely do this, but I am no longer capable of remaining silent.
I call upon you all, citizens of the constitutional republic of the United States of America, and within its borders, Florida, to align with me in an attempt to validate and reaffirm our sacred Bill of Rights. Let us redefine the term “Republican.” Let us choose to use conventional logic and good common sense instead of tossing about unnecessary and dangerous rhetoric in our political affairs. This is supposed to be a nation of liberties; by treating it as such, you will be treating yourself to a lifetime of principles and doctrines that would have our Founding Fathers smiling.
To my elders: A new day is approaching for us all. This day will be either celebrated in freedom, or oppressed by misery, and I can speak on behalf of my peers when I say that we are not going to stand for this “democratic” process any further. We humbly and lovingly invite you to join us in a movement of wisdom which would not have been possible without your compassion, patience, and understanding. A lifetime of obedience to a government that has done nothing other than lie to you deserves, at the very least, a chance to retrieve your inadvertently misplaced faith, so that you might enjoy the comforts of gratification, knowing that your children have succeeded.
To the generation that will follow: I behoove you to set an example of this attitude in both your political affairs, and your behavior towards each other. Please do not allow yourselves to be misrepresented by any legislative body at any time in your lives. This does not specifically mean you should concern yourself with politics at an early age, but it certainly does imply that awareness, intuition, and good common sense will dictate the very role your government plays while you grow to be fine adults.
And finally, to my beloved colleagues, friends of old, and to the entire frustrated generation I am attempting to represent: your tireless efforts to change a system under which you have no control are nearing an abrupt yet successful end, but we are going to need a bit of cooperation from everyone in order for this to work. If you happen to be at one of the universities mentioned above, I challenge you to admit that you – the learned individual seeking collegiate degree – will be inheriting the chaotic atrocity that lawmakers have been hot-potatoing between each other in variously unsuccessful attempts at alleviation. I would not advise attempting to place blame; instead, I would recommend that if you desire to point the finger, that you point it at your heart, and begin questioning where the power truly lies in a republic.
I would like to encourage anyone who reads this to attempt to remember something before they enter a conversation with another fellow in regards to politics: use logic – not labels – to make your case. “Liberal” and “Conservative” can be an easy detour to defining your set of political ideals, but beware – for these terms are now being thrown about pejoratively by Americans to imply political incompetence. Please remember that while we may divide ourselves in our beliefs, we are a united nation, and without realizing that it takes both conservatism as well as liberalism (in no particular order) to safeguard the continuity of our society, there can be no liberty, nor can there be independence, unless we uphold both.
Quite unfortunately, if there happens to be a Republican runoff for this seat, the only way you will be able to vote for me is by being recognized by the United States as a registered Republican. This is going to either make or break this entire campaign, so it is important to recognize what must be done, should you desire to elect me as your State Senator. Instead of allowing those bold enough to steal the rights to a name under which they might misrepresent, take it upon yourself to grab hold of what might eventually be unobtainable. I am not admonishing the Democratic Party, or democracy in its definition, but rather scorning those who would attempt to make us believe that we currently abide by it. If you happen to be currently registered without party affiliation, I hope the prospects of new representation might persuade you to take a few minutes to help by re-registering; I would be delighted to represent you, your liberty and independence in the State of Florida.
And then, by and with your support, we will defeat those who represent something else.
John Shaw
Republican Candidate for the Florida State Senate, District 6
http://www.johnshaw.org
john@johnshaw.org
Changing your political affiliation in the State of Florida is simple, easy, and most of all, important. To change your party, or if you’re interested in becoming a registered voter in Florida, you may complete and mail in the PDF form listed below to the following address:
Leon County
Supervisor of Elections
PO Box 7357
Tallahassee, FL 32314-7357
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/pdf/webappform.pdf
The form may also be hand-delivered to the Supervisor of Elections office, located in the Bank of America Plaza, 315 South Calhoun Street, Suite 110, Tallahassee, FL
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