Think about it. We ignored common sense, became self-absorbed and excessive in just about everything. We became greedy. Horded stuff we didn’t need. Spent money we didn't have. And forgot to pay attention to Washington. We went to the polls and punched a chad or clicked a name not knowing who these people really were, and we felt good about it because we remembered to vote!

Of course I’m not celebrating a rotten economy, the loss of jobs, the loss of investments and retirement incomes, the loss of prosperous futures for our children, and especially not the evil, addictive spending by a power-hungry, out-of-control government. The whole mess is one giant jaw-dropper. You might say, we had it coming.

We were brain dead while a minority of radicals, socialists, progressives and communists were quietly taking over. So what’s good about the recession? Well, it sure as heck woke us up, didn’t it? Nothing like an empty pocket book to create awareness. The recession put the brakes on the good times and mental frivolity. It caused us to finally start asking questions. How could this happen? How is it going to be fixed? And most important, who’s going to fix it?

And suddenly we discovered we are being robbed of our freedom. The "gimme nuts" have taken over! We finally get it! – we elected people who believe what's yours is theirs — that the government should make all our decisions and spend all our money.

We have been forced to think before we buy. We look for bargains. We cancel subscriptions to publications we never read. We stop buying food we never eat and clothes we never wear. Isn’t it time we stop electing people we don’t know?

Well, yes indeed! It took a recession to wake us up. Now, keep protesting. Attend town hall meetings and tea parties. Keep sending e-mail and letters to your so-called representatives. Tell them they will be voted out if they don’t change their tune. Call their offices. Put a drain on their phone systems. Tell them when you think about upcoming elections, the phrase "No Incumbents" comes to mind.

Let them call us domestic terrorists, but remember, “Sticks and stones can break our bones but words will never hurt us.” The days of apathy by the once silent majority are gone forever.