The head of the Heritage Foundation is calling on conservatives to play an active role in the political process — even if they’ve been discouraged by recent political developments.
Heritage President Edwin Feulner delivered that message during a book signing event tonight in Raleigh.
The book is Getting America Right: The True Conservative Values Our Nation Needs Today. In it, Feulner and co-author Doug Wilson outline six questions people should use to help them judge their own elected leaders and government programs:
*Is it the government’s business?
*Does it promote self-reliance?
*Is it responsble?
*Does it make us more prosperous?
*Does it make us safer?
*Does it unify us?
Feulner says people need to stay involved in the political process:
If you’re not [involved], it’s just going to get worse. That means reading blogs, participating in them on the web. It means listening to your favorite talk-show hosts, participating, getting together with your editorial page editors and telling them what your views are and what other views ought to be presented.
Later, Feulner again cited the voter’s important role:
It’s got to come from the grass roots. We really are a participatory democracy. We sent them there, and it’s up to us to keep the pressure on them to remind them of why they’re there. They’re there to represent us. They’re not there to just say yes to everybody who comes along, to come up with more handouts and giveaways. They’ve got to do the responsible thing on behalf of all of us. And we’ve got to remind them of that every time we see them. And it’s as important to remind them when they’re here as to write them letters when they’re up there.
