Photo courtesy of Cool Revolution

Our nation is in crisis. The federal government has shutdown and lawmakers show no sign of moving toward an agreement. But there are 243 million ways to end this shutdown.

Here's how.

If every member of the House of Representatives received a flood of calls, e-mails, and letters from constituents demanding an end to the shutdown then those legislators would go up the food chain to Speaker John Boehner. They would say, "We've got to end this shutdown or I'll never get re-elected." Speaker Boehner would bring it to a vote, and the shutdown would end.

And it just so happens that there are 243 million Americans ages 18 and over. So let's make 243 million calls to Congress and demand an end to this shutdown and a start to Congress doing the real business of the people – first, pass a real budget, then move on to all the major issues that Americans list as their top priorities. From job creation to education funding to strengthening the long-term outlook for Social Security and Medicare, there's plenty to be done.

Let's get to work.