Virtual Soapbox or Knol?

\ˈkäŋ-grəs also -rəs, British usually ˈkäŋ-ˌgres\... noun... Latin congressus, from congredi to come together, from com- + gradi to go... 1528... 1 a: the act or action of coming together and meeting b: coitus 2: a formal meeting of delegates for discussion and usually action on some question 3: the supreme legislative body of a nation and especially of a republic 4: an association usually made up of delegates from constituent organizations 5: a single meeting or session of a group

 

\ˈse-nət\... noun... Middle English senat, from Anglo-French, from Latin senatus, from sen-, senex old, old man... 13th century... 1: an assembly or council usu. possessing high deliberative and legislative functions: as a: the supreme council of the ancient Roman republic and empire b: the second chamber in the bicameral legislature of a major political unit (as a nation, state, or province) 2: the hall or chamber in which a senate meets 3: a governing body of some universities charged with maintaining academic standards and regulations and usually composed of the principal or representative members of the faculty 

 

 

 

When our Democracy was founded information traveled by way of mouth or paper. Our Constitution was written on paper by hand. As were most of our most important founding documents. This was the only way to get information from one place to another, and people were more apt to be available in order to receive the information. Voters and citizens could reach and communicate with their Representatives a lot easier due to this style of information transfer.

 

 

As time passed, technology moved forward at exponential rates. Unfortunately, the ability to communicate with our politicians has not moved as quickly as our technology. Most Representatives and Senators are so busy that they rely on their assistants to relay those messages that are most important to them and others are pushed to the side or receive "canned" message replies. The time spent in an actual office environment by our Congress and Senate is minimal. People still write letters to their Representatives hoping that somehow it will reach them in a timely matter, be read (among thousands of others) in entirety, and be responded to. Some people have switched to typing e-mails, which get fielded by administrators as do the letters. The majority of people have just stopped trying to communicate knowing that it would be impossible for their voice to be trully heard.

 

 

I have a solution that will allow anyone to communicate with their Representatives as long as they have access to a computer that has a connection to the internet. This issue of every American having access to the internet is being tackled by every public library, school, and town hall across the country. If you live in an area where you do not have access to a computer in your public library or school please contact the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for help.

 

Now there is an online public forum which allows all Americans to review policies and plans from their Representatives and Senators. Now they can comment right there online and take surveys, et cetera. They can write intelligent comments and post them right their online on the same page their Representative wrote. Petitions could be online. The possibilities are endless. This solution is Knol.

 

Senators and Representatives could login to review information and comments. They can view what the public thinks and wants, which could lead to better informed decisions and policy making. The nation is in a time of dire need of solutions. Knol is the solution to bring people from all over America together to brainstorm each problem one at a time.

 

 

So, my challenge is to invite every legislator in America to create a profile on Knol and explain their ideas in full. Accept our criticism and make changes. Abraham Lincoln once said something along the lines of, "I would like to believe I am smarter today than I was yesterday."