As a precursor to meeting privately with members of the Victory NH Network, Newt penned the following exclusive essay...

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Citizen Activism: The Key to Winning the Future

by Newt Gingrich

I wrote Winning the Future to outline the next wave or reform that this country will need in the next ten to twenty years to remain the richest, most powerful, and most successful nation on the planet in the 21st Century. And while I have made it a point to talk to as many of my colleagues in Washington about these issues as I can, I know that no amount of discussion inside the beltway can replace what I will be doing this Monday and Tuesday in New Hampshire—taking my message to the citizens of this country.

Why? To put it bluntly, Washington, D.C. is a conspiracy of timidity and caution, so caught up in its daily, politics-as-usual activities that it is incapable of big, bold changes.

I know of no wave of large-scale change in American history that has originated within Washington. From the rise of the Jeffersonians and Jacksonians to the emergence of the Republican Party in the 1850s or from the rise of the progressive movement and the New Deal to the ascension of modern conservatism, large movements first start with the American people and then build an energy and intensity which eventually overwhelms Washington, forcing it to change. Historically, the only reason why America has excelled and adapted is because of citizens who do what is necessary to force Washington to change.

The most recent example of this phenomenon is welfare reform. Ronald Reagan first started talking about welfare reform in 1970; it wasn’t passed until 1996, after two vetoes. When it was signed into law, a poll reported that ninety-two percent of the country favored reform, including eighty-eight percent of those on welfare.

So, this next, critical wave of reform will have to happen in this same way, which is why I am so excited to engage the members of the Victory NH Network. Like welfare reform, it will take a long time, and it will be extremely hard work, but if we can change the conversation in the country, we can change the conversation in Washington.

Once again, the future of this country will be up to the citizen activist.

The citizen activist is someone who sees it as their duty to contact their state and national representatives with issues of concern, while also bringing those issues to the public by calling talk radio and writing letters to the editor.

The citizen activist understands that leaving governing up to the “experts” is unacceptable and takes it upon themselves to learn everything they can about the issues that affect their families and communities so that they can make a positive difference.

The citizen activist has taken the time to learn about our American history and understands that our unique civilization is worth preserving. They engage in “patriotic stewardship” by volunteering their time to help others and by infusing that spirit of civic duty into the next generation.

America is the freest, richest, and most powerful country in history, and it has reached that stature not because of the brilliance of bureaucrats in Washington, but because of the activism and ingenuity of its citizen activists.

Citizen activists are the key to breaking through the distortions of the Mainstream Media. The key to holding elected officials to the promises they make as candidates. The key, to winning the future.

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