To the Editor:

What this really means is money versus politics, or even more to the point, lobbyists/fundraising versus politics. Notice I put money first for the simple reason that it is what drives our politics. Lobbyists are everywhere and trying to influence our finances, education, health care, fishing, farming and automobiles - there is no end to their influence.

Take the latest nomination by President Obama, namely Mary Jo Wright to be the head of the SEC. I would bet real money that out of 100 sidewalk interviews, maybe two might be able to spell out: Security and Exchange Commission! And most would say, "I don't think that position has any influence in my life."

Lesson number one should tell everyone in the country our lives are influenced in some way by every lobbyist's payouts. To expand: Mary Jo comes from a family that is involved in the financial market to the tune of millions of dollars. To add a bookend to this position, President Bush nominated a Mr. Cox, whose law firm just happened to represent some of Wall Street's largest financial firms. Now comes the hearings for confirmation and we look up at the senators who will be voting to confirm these individuals and behold, most receive large amounts of campaign money from the very firms that this position is supposed to regulate.

You could be one of those interviewed on the street and would answer that "I don't believe this affects me at all." Well listen up: every union, both public and private, is partially invested in financial institutions, and if not, these same institutions are always involved in the investments or borrowing that any institution of any size has to use their services to conduct their business, even if it is just a checking account. Now think of the response any manufacturer or distributor must make when interest rates, regulations or, in many cases, manipulation of the financial markets forces them to raise their prices. This could be for eggs, fruit, meats, gasoline, cars, appliances or any item a household may require.

You, my fellow citizens, bear it all!

What can you do? First, ask our two senators (Whitehouse and Reed) how they will vote for the confirmation of Mary Jo to be the head of the SEC and why? The 'why' is the most important part of your request. If they give you the most used excuse, "she has a most distinguished career," reply bah-humbug! So do I, as do a housewife, butcher, baker, accountant, doctor, maintenance worker, bus driver, schoolteacher, etc. I am every bit as important as any position in government; I make the real sacrifices and hard work necessary to make our society function.

My fellow citizens, the larger issue is that, currently, the federal government is working 24-7 to interfere in our lives to reduce us from the employer to the employee of government.

Every patriot since the beginning of self-government has repeatedly warned us about the taking away of our rights and freedoms. Mostly the admonition was: any government that proposes giving or regulating everything can easily, in time, take away everything: leaving us citizens beholden to their dictatorial governing and leaving us with only the ability to survive on a daily basis! At some point, this would leave us as slaves to the governing body.

I'm sure that many of you will think that this is "far out" reasoning, but just think of this: history is replete with examples of my reading of history.

Today, in Iran, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, if you could ask the average citizen if they approve of all the slaughter of their fellow citizens to control the many, they would all tell you we are peace loving and do not support what our governing (dictatorial) leaders are doing. World War II is not that far back in our history. I lived through it and we all knew that most Germans, Italians, Japanese, Chinese were peace loving people, but again many millions of them were murdered or raped in a most vicious way. All of this took place for the few who knew that to be dictators they had to take away all freedoms by any means possible. Today, the same results can be had by incremental taxes, regulations and executive orders, rapidly raising prices, 35 hidden czars and a party that within it lives no opposition, only following their leader, including diminishing our military capabilities. Think second amendment and study why it was made part of our Constitution. It wasn't put in our Constitution to prevent the 500-plus yearly murders a year in Chicago. This is a real societal problem, largely due to very poor leadership at all levels, starting with the home.

If we, as citizens, cannot force our representatives to act like patriots and not puppets, then we must send them packing and elect leaders who understand history and will refuse to repeat it in the name of my party, allowing for a too powerful government! There are many reasonable, educated citizens, whose only acknowledgement they are asking for is for all citizens to study history and compare it to today's goings-on to see for themselves that we are halfway there to my above stated warning! If you have not read Dr. Carson's book or witnessed his speech at the national day of prayer breakfast, or his many television appearances that followed, then make sure that you give yourself the opportunity to hear his concerns. At first glance, one might suggest to him or her, what does a child neurosurgeon know about what he speaks of? If so, you better learn his history. Maybe the most important part is that his third grade-educated, 13-year-old-mother who came from a family of 24. She shut off he and his brother's television and insisted that instead of running the neighborhood, that they start to read books. Reluctantly, Dr. Carson did and then became a good student. He read so much that he began, at a very early age, to understand that proper education, taught with an understanding of history, was absolutely necessary to our well-being as individuals and as a country.

He speaks about how fast we are losing our ability as citizens to understand freedom, proper education, family values, relations, regulations and tax reform. He knows that there are plenty of reasons for this, but he emphasized the current administration is doing nothing to reverse this trend, but in fact is doing everything to support our demise. He speaks as an independent, as I do. He does not pontificate, he just tells it from his own history and his study of what made America what it should and could be today. And he is never afraid to believe in his God and what He may ask of him. How refreshing to hear that before every operation (he was the first to successfully separate twins that were born connected by their heads), he asks for guidance and God's help for success.

I so much admire him, not so much for his intellectual ability, but he insists on two things that I have repeated most of my life: that reading is so essential and must start with parents and children at a very early age, and that we must think for ourselves. That is wise and commonsense thinking, and will supersede intellects' exposure every time.

Let us all pray for our future to be what it must return to.

Richard Tomlins

Cranston