OUR TIME

William Ritter

Throughout the history of the United States the people have been trapped between two camps: Federalists v. Anti-Federalists, Whigs v. Democrats, Democrats and Republicans. There has also been a sprinkling of outlier movements like the Democratic Republicans under Jefferson, the Progressives, Libertarians, et cetera. We are now caught in the middle of a political power struggle that is threatening all that America has been, is, and what will be.

The professional politicians in Washington on both the Republican and the Democratic side have accomplished in alienating a large part of the country. They only go after the tiny minority on either side to get nominated and try to pass themselves off as moderates to pick up the rest of us. During every election cycle you hear politicians say that they are for the people but in reality they are controlled and influenced more by special interests and lobbyists.

What they forget to realize is that it is us in the middle, the average, hard-working American who put them into office. All we want is what is best for America and for our families and all the politicians want is our vote. Over recent years I have noticed, as many other people have noticed, is that the country is moving towards the center on the spectrum and that we, those in the middle, are tired of what is happening in Washington and they want a change.

In order to give America that change there has to be a revolution at the ballot box. Only when we in the middle wake up to the fact that we are the key to political process can we truly bring change to the government. This process will be long and it will not be easy, but like the movements of old, the center will gain a sense of purpose and consolidate its power. All big movements start from the ground up as local activist organizations and so too must the centrist movement start at the ground level. We must help build a grassroots movement that will elect local and state officials, and as time goes by and a new generation of centrists are born and raised can we be in a position of putting in place real change. There are many good ideas and groups floating around but there is no centralized (pardon the pun) leadership in our movement. Like the Progressives, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, and the Greens, the Centrists must be willing to pull together for a common cause that we all stand for. I believe that as I write this that the American Centrist Party has the will and the know-how to bring the Centrist Movement in the right direction and all it needs is the support and the energy of all those who want true change in the system and those people are people just like you. This is your time, our time, and it is our time to make our mark on history.