For the last six years, I have been on a mission to document the cycle of how money works its way through our political system, how this cycle steals from the public and where opportunities lie to reclaim our democratic process. Just unveiled at Netroots Nation, I am proud to be able to present the first 10 minutes of my new documentary PAY 2 PLAY: Democracy's High Stakes, featuring Robert Reich, John Nichols, Van Jones and Jack Abramoff, among many others.
Recent years have proved dramatic and pivotal in this subject, from the Citizens United ruling, to revelations surrounding the Koch Brothers and ALEC, to Occupy Wall Street. And while the core lessons have stayed the same about monied influence in our elections, what has proved even more impactful has been the growing awareness of the might of people power.
Beyond naming names and muckraking, I hope that my film PAY 2 PLAY will be able to help citizens recognize the amount of power the people have, and how individual voices can go much further than we dare to think. This is how I came to follow the work of political street artists in Los Angeles. This is why we blog, or make documentaries. This is why we rely on crowd sourcing like Kickstarter. This is why your vote matters so much -- it almost counts several times more because of all the people who don't vote. When we don't speak up, we contribute to silent assent.
Follow John Wellington Ennis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/johnennis
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
The time is past when Americans can claim that our nation is not corrupt -- not only is the political process corrupt on a case by case basis, it is also institutionalized corruption that threatens the very foundations of the government, the economy and the social fabric of our country.
The fact that most Americans do not even realize the effects that political corruption will have upon their very own lives is disappointing, but not surprising, given that public discourse is now dominated by influence bought with cold hard cash.
Good luck with your documentary and your mission to tell the truth, Mr. Ellis. I hope we finally start to pay attention.