Foundation of the Constitution
Hello, U.S. Senators,
This is a quick reminder to all you protectors and defenders of the U.S.
Constitution. Our democracy is founded on the principle of proportional
representation. In Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution it states:
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States
which may be included in this Union”. In addition, it states: “Enumeration
shall be made…within every subsequent Term of ten Years” (the decennial U.S.
Census).
Take a look at the population figures below. Notice that the District of Columbia,
with a larger population than either Vermont or Wyoming, has 0 (voting)
Representatives and 0 Senators. The House of Representatives recently passed
H.R. 51, in favor of including the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth in
these United States of America, consistent with the principles that our Founders
established in our U.S. Constitution.
As you consider the inclusion of Washington, DC as a state in our Union, will you
hold to the foundational principles of our Constitution, do the right thing and
affirm their right to representation? Or will you instead act against those
principles which you have vowed to protect and defend, and vote to deny fair
representation to these citizens? What are your principles? What is your Word
worth?
US State Populations – US Census - 2019 Estimate - Under 1 million
State Population HR Senate
45 Delaware 973,764 1 2
46 South Dakota 884,659 1 2
47 North Dakota 762,062 1 2
48 Alaska 731,545 1 2
49 DC 705,749 0 0
50 Vermont 623,989 1 2
51 Wyoming 578,759 1 2
Earth Day 2021 - A Declaration of Interdependence
American Elm (Ulmus americana), Sterling, VA
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Sterling, VA
Christmas Ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides), Seneca Regional Park, VA
Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucillaria), Seneca Regional Park, VA
Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea), Seneca Regional Park, VA
We live in an amazing community of relationships and interdependencies, intricate and essential, that we call Nature. It has created us, provided for us, and will take care of us one way or another in the future.
We are largely unconscious of the life-giving services and resources that Nature daily provides us, and we take these gifts for granted, extracting and consuming without regard for the consequences.
A healthy Nature is the prerequisite foundation for healthy people. The short-term thinking and motivation of business as usual is driving the destruction of this foundation. Economic activity informed by science-based, factual data can be sustainable when aligned within the limits of Nature. We cannot fool Nature with clever advertising, reports or outright lies; the proof is in our actions.
Actions to integrate our activities with Nature are opposed by the beneficiaries of the status quo. Entrenched power makes formidable opponents. The privileged, connected few get richer while most of us struggle just to maintain. The consequences of failure are dire and mounting.
Fellow human beings, citizens, shareholders, parents, volunteers – make your voices heard! Carpe diem! Seize the day!
The tree is an Ancient Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva), a few thousand years old, at 11,000 feet in the White Mountains of California. It is decorated with “ornaments”, each a photograph of the many aspects/gifts of Nature with which we are blessed. Most of all, and so fundamental that we are almost always unconscious of it, the tree (and other plant life) produces the oxygen that keeps us alive with every breath we take.
