Indianapolis just had a huge upset in our local politics. In a city that had become a Democratic stronghold a stranger came in the guise of a Republican and sailed into office on the tide of anger and frustration from the citizens.
    Greg Ballard exemplifies everything the Democrats hate; he is a retired Marine who served his country through thick and thin. He is a leader of the military ilk; he brooks no silliness and intends to make changes. I wait anxiously to see if he is able to overcome the entrenched politics of arrogance in this city. He is a man who no one knew, for whom his own political party showed very little support and who campaigned the old-fashioned way in a city of a million people; he went door to door and told the folks about who he was and what he wanted to do. In the face of outrageous property tax hikes and an insulting 65 percent raise on the previous income tax levels requested by our out-going mayor and levied by the Democratic controlled City-County Council it was inevitable that Greg Ballard would win. On the face of it it is a no -brainer; Bart Peterson was arrogant and the people of this city took notice (and gave notice).
    For me the big question of the day is this; Will the people by virtue of this victory once again realize they CAN make a difference and gather up the courage to vote for the good of the country and not just follow a "fashion statement" philosophy of politics? I am praying every day that the powerlessness that this city felt over the last year and the sweet feel of directing destiny that we felt on Wednesday, November 7 will spread to other states and municipalities in preparation for the very important Congressional and Presidential races next fall. The city of Indianapolis has proven that those who bother to take part in the process can direct the process. Now can people learn that the issues need to be more important and better understood than the sound bites and pabulum we are fed on a daily basis? 
    To truly have a successful Representative Democracy requires that the citizens who vote also educate themselves. The War on Terror, the War on Drugs, the War on Poverty; all wonderful feel good words but impossible to clearly define. A good argument depends on the definition of terms. The political class of this country on both sides of the aisle have obfuscated the real issues with slogans and promises of victory over things that are too abstract and complex to be discussed in terms of 3 or 4 word sentences. The feeling of stupor and hopelessness engendered by the mainstream media and further inculcated by the politicos wishing to keep their seats of power could possibly be countered by the upset victory of a small city in the Midwest. 
    This is the time that people can see, from the proof that is Indianapolis, that the true power in this country lies in the pens of the voter citizens. We have a responsibility to go into the polls knowing the issues and understanding the various methods that we have at our disposal to address those issues. We cannot continue to be more absorbed by news of Brittany Spears than news of tax hikes and government mandated self-protections such as seat-belt laws or insurance coverage. Those who have felt hopelessness in the face of ever increasing losses of personal freedoms and burdens of taxation can look to the Midwest; the twelfth largest city in the country has proven that we can once again be a free people if we are willing to do the work required to achieve such a goal.