I agree, but to change the people, even in long term, you must communicate. Because the government is communicating, and they will not stop communicating. The only other branch communicating well is the media. Those of us who care, must communicate, until enough people communicate it gets their attention.
As it stands now, the only slow progression will be in the wrong direction, because if we do not communicate they will. IMO the first step is holding the medias feet to the fire, and how do we do that?
The media has been losing its grip on many, because their message has become so obviously propaganda rather than news, and its entertainment so obviously mind numbing instead of enlightening.
On demand viewing options are shaking media's soap box.
We're not bound to choosing only their content line-up.
We're not bound by their schedules.
Without commercials, the shows are 25% shorter
With all episodes available at once, you're not bound to a time slot, every week, to catch the next installment.
The show's popularity, based on freely chosen content at whatever time-slot best suits the viewer, for however long they wish to watch, is less skewed by engineering and plainly and simply on quality of the content.
Cutting the cord - or ignoring the cord - frees the mind from all of the rest of their engineering, and frees up time for alternative news sources that are bi-directional, instantly able to be corroborated or refuted, and able to be discussed with people around the world, rather than obediently absorbed and accepted as is.
Media is no longer the only voice speaking.
There are opportunities now to speak and have people hear and ponder alternative messages.
Facebook alone - perhaps originally designed to share cat photos and share how your vacation's going - is now an incredible perpetual town hall forum of both instant discussion while also being available for review and interjection at different personal schedules.
Forums archive once-written ideas as ever-present, searchable, citable, quotable references; conversations that are never over, always able to be added to and built upon, reducing the need to re-invent the wheel over and over again.
Blogs are opportunities for anyone to editorialize, expose, educate - posted once, archived, and potentially delivered to thousands of subscriptions instantly, then usually with similar features for people to discuss, corroborate, refute, cross reference, and expand.
And you don't have to be anchored at a desk top either. It's available on nearly ubiquitous smart phones on lunch breaks, red lights, laying in bed, or sitting on the toilet.
LIS in VA makes every bill in the General Assembly readable and trackable with multiple contact options for your representative and those on committees and sub-committees - all of whom are readily and clearly presented to contact as well.
Mere education does not enlightenment make. Indeed, it begs the question, modus ponens, of just what is education.
Don't make it complicated. Education is disseminating truth, or clearly labelled opinion or belief, in order to turn on the perception and understanding light switches for people. It is enlightenment. Necessarily followed by enabling them to take actions taken, guided by that understanding.
Conversely, "education" in gov't schools now is deliberate obfuscation and misdirection. Mis-educating.
The understanding that the individual is the root, the base that must be protected, is what needs to be taught.
“Whatever crushes individuality is despotism.”
― John Stuart Mill
Civics needs to be reintroduced into Americans' awareness of responsibilities.
“If once [the people] become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, judges and governors shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions;” ~ Thomas Jefferson