With my last post about keeping the political references out of Dancing with the Stars, then listening to the news and all the Senators and Representatives pulling stunts to forward their political party instead of the country got me thinking.... When did our government become about representing a political party and not about representing the citizens of this nation?
I have always believed that voting to elect our local, state and federal leaders is my civic duty. From the time I turned 18 and received the privilege, I have voted. However, in my adult lifetime it has been a choice in the "lesser of 2 evils" more times than not.
Currently, I see VERY few of our elected officials, specifically at the federal level, who understand that being elected to office is a privilege and it is just as much as call to SERVICE as any soldier in our armed services. My question is have we lost the definition of service along the way, or are the elected officials serving their political, personal and lobbyist agendas instead of the very citizens who elected them?
I have never believed in all of the principles from either political party. I have always selected the candidates receiving my vote by the information they provide about their platforms during the election. I have always believed our 3 branches (well 2 based on how citizens can vote) should be balanced between the political parties.
Lately, however, the war between the democrats and republicans has taken on a civil war feel. Actually, it's more like a prank war for rival high schools because I have yet to see adult behavior from either side. The current motto is to stop each other. Creating a stalemate between the political parties is not service to citizens of this great nation who are suffering while we wait on the winner of the pissing contest!! Service is about sacrificing of oneself, including ego, for the betterment of many. I haven't seen a sacrifice from our current leaders - Democrat or Republican so maybe our leaders need a hard reminder of the definition of service and who they are serving.
I recently heard that congress had failed to pass an extension on the unemployment insurance for the almost 10% of the population who is without work. Democrats have failed, in the last 2 years, to move the economy in a direction of creating jobs. I mean creating jobs, not putting on the tourniquet to stop loosing jobs. Republicans wonder where more money will come from to pay these benefits. However, I have to wonder why the same congress that could pass legislation to save Wall Street and the Auto Industry can't save the citizens. Call in the loans to Wall Street and GM, since they failed to create sufficient employment for people and pay their unemployment. Sorry CEO's - there will be NO bonus until you make an actual profit, which includes repayment of all loans. Reference Webster for the definition of profit if you need additional help. This is only one example from this week; there is also tax cuts, an immigration issue, health care, and many more where political party lines have been drawn.
This all leaves me wondering, how do we elect people, willing to give up their "power" and "ego", wanting to improve this country for it's citizens? Obviously, many voters were over the antics of the current group so many new folks were elected earlier this month. The only thing is that I think it may make the situation worse. There is already "trash talk" from the rival schools (Oops - I mean political parties) about making life difficult for the other. Suggestions on how we get the message across that this doesn't serve the majority of the voters?
How do we get elected leaders who understand what it is like down here in the trenches? People who are unemployed, who have lost life savings, who wonder how they will send children to college, who think they will never be able to retire. How do we get the point across about the top issues in our lives? Why is it such a hard concept to understand; service is about work to protect the well-being of those who elected you to office? Don't be so arrogant as to believe we are to stupid to know what is good for us. When do we break status quo, special interest groups, and the political party "red rover game" getting this nation in a forward motion for its citizens again?
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