Since when is "Girl Pees on Flag...!" news? We're better than this.

I - unfortunately - come across many disturbing articles and stories about the United States. On Steemit today, I encountered "Girl Pees on Flag...", a pretty repugnant story.

Rather than give the story more traction, I've removed my response from that submission, and I"ve copied it here. I support freedom of speech. I choose not to monetize sensationalism.

After you view my response, we can start a discussion on what we can do to reclaim our democracy.

My response to the "Girl Pees on Flag" article:

"I don't agree with what she's doing. It's vulgar, and it speaks more to who she is than to who Americans are.

She wouldn't do this, take a photo of it, and circulate it if she lived in North Korea or Saudi Arabia.

Well, if she did, she certainly wouldn't live to tell about it.

There may be many things I don't agree with that our government, the United States government, is involved in, things like white phosporous, depleted uranium, and the soul-less entities and avarice surrounding the deep state.

Warts and all, we have a country and a democracy worth saving. It's time to get involved politically and to use your voice constructively and work for change.

I don't like that you urinate on my flag. This is the United States of America, though, so I will defend your right to act like a fool as long as you don't injure anyone.

You've got my attention. Now go do something we can be proud of."

OK, that said, it's time to get to work, America.

The United States is a great country, and it's a hot mess. I'm learning more and more about the powers behind our elected officials, and it hurts. It's painful. It's overwhelming. And it's got to be stopped.

I understand why some people prefer anarchy. I get it, folks. It's frustrating to try and effect change, only to find it ain't happening.

Well, one thing I know about Americans is that we don't give up. And we can't give up on our country.

I would love to see something along the lines of the concept of Liquid Democracy being adopted by the United States. Were that a tangible option, were it successfully implemented, it isn't something that would transpire in my lifetime.

So I've decided to work with the system I've got, for a number of reasons. One is that despite our flaws, and despite egregious, reprehensible acts fostered and engaged in by corrupt officials and the deep state, we have a structure in place to work with. We don't need more laws and more government.

I don't think it will be simple or easy.

I have a few ideas, only a few, but they might be enough to begin to grab the attention of our elected officials, and once we have their attention, we don't let go. We don't stop. We lock jaws like a pitbull.

One action we can engage is to start a letter-writing campaign across America. We start at the local level and work upwards from there.

You don't think your local councilman or member of the board of county supervisors has some clout? They do, and they belong to a political party, and they answer to someone with more political weight than they have.

My suggestion is to start applying pressure at the most local level. Our elected and appointed officials claim to represent us and our interests. It's time to start holding them accountable and holding their feet to the fire.

I know there will be detractors and naysayers. It takes a lot more work to actually start doing this and to keep it going than the energy expended to criticize and ridicule the idea.

To those people, I say, I wish you well, and be on your way. Let's see which of us actually accomplishes something.

I can't tell anyone what to write. I'd like to let my local officials know I want them to stand up to the corruption, the avarice, the erosion of privacy, and other violations of our rights. I'd like to tell them to grow a backbone and do something about it.

The second action that I believe will help to bring about change is to inform people about specific trends or types of corruption. You have to have a tight, well-thought out and researched position where you can enumerate specific examples with supporting evidence.

People don't want to believe that some very powerful people in government engage in unspeakable crimes, crimes and actions so aberrant that it's hard to wrap your head around what's happening behind the scenes. We haven't been brought up and taught and socialized to believe that players in our government do the unspeakable. It takes awhile to bring people into that reality. If you didn't know it was happening and someone told you about some of what I know, and what many of you know, you'd think they were crazy. You wouldn't believe them.

Anyway, my thoughts are to start with your immediate sphere of influence, and then move onto a small group in your community that you have an association with, something in common with, or some group that you can feel comfortable in addressing.

Pressure the politicians. Inform the public. Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

I'm looking for solution-oriented responses and suggestions. If you'd like to debate, please, write your own article or blog entry and submit it, and conduct your debate. I whole-heartedly endorse your right to do that and to enjoy every minute of it, unfettered.

And for the rest of us, the discussion starts here. Liberty. Freedom. Justice. We have a democracy worth reclaiming.