Vow to become part of the informed electorate . Every year, in the state of Illinois alone, somewhere between 5-7,000 bills are introduced in Springfield, most of which will affect your wallet in one way or another. Most people don't know and don't care unless the bite gets really big suddenly like the gas prices. If the federal government got rid of withholding and all of you had to sit and write a check for your social security, Medicare, state and federal taxes, there would be a revolution tomorrow. Many don't vote because they don't think it affects them.
Most folks are like the frog in the kettle.
The heat goes up so slow, that you don't know you are being cooked until it is too late. You owe it to yourself. Try to get informed before speaking. Many times as a reporter I covered meetings where people would speak passionately. Then when they got it all out, they discovered they didn't have their facts straight.