Government of the people, by the people and for the people. I think that we have received what we've asked for. Our government is just like us.
Our President, Senate and Congress are so dysfunctional that government is at a standstill. No real legislation is being proposed. Republicans and Democrats won't reach across the aisle to create legislation that benefits the American public. Senate and Congress do not work together. The President won't work with Congress. The President is sued over executive orders, then reprimanded for not using executive orders. Congress tries to repeal the Affordable Care Act 50+ times.
CNN and Fox News choose sides and blame people and parties. Time passes. Issues arise. Politicians observe and do nothing. Government occasionally shuts down as the administrative and legislative branch play chicken with workers, agencies and the economy.
But are these top level politicians any different than all of us? We've chosen sides and we debate politics in the local coffeehouse, on social media and among family and friends. If we vote, our votes are as dysfunctional as our federal government. No real change takes place. The candidates mumble about the economy, immigration, jobs and corporations as people. But whether the faces in Washington change or not, the action doesn't.
Why should it? We're a divided country. They're a divided government. We asked for representative politics, and we got what we asked for.
The only way government will change is if we change. When we pull together and demand leaders that will work together and get government moving. When we force our elected leaders to lead or go away. It will take a combined effort from both parties' voters to force politicians to start taking action for America again.
Until that happens, elected officials will continue to grandstand to the media and keep government motionless. How long can we afford to have Washington make excuses about why nothing is being done? As long as we're willing to be divided by them.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Bless the beasts and the children
Bless the beasts and the children. The name of a movie that made me cry, and a Carpenters song. Children and animals. The vulnerable ones. The ones needing protection. Often caught in the middle of strife.
How children and all baby animals tear at our heartstrings. Who doesn't have the image of a naked child running through the streets during Vietnam seared into their mind's eye? Some picture of Iraq or Afghanistan service members holding a dog?
Perhaps you've seen the recent image of someone aiming a gun at a cat. Or heard about feuding, divorcing adults battling over children, or even their pets. Occasionally the stories turn tragic.
Today, I ran into a friend. She has had a rough go of things for years. Her adult children are troubled addicts. I rarely go where I ran into her today, especially at that time of day. I'm sure that He was in control of that meeting. The "what's new in your life" small talk quickly turned into the information that she is now caring for three grandchildren. The kids needed stable adults in their lives. She and her husband were it.
No matter how crazy you think your life is, when given the choice over caring for your family's children or letting them go into state care, you set the other issues aside and care for your family. They are family. Ohana, to choose the Hawaiian word that explains the concept better.
Tonight in several border states, children are receiving minimal care in makeshift facilities as adults war over their next moves. Political refugees? Political pawns? Depends on where you stand. But look at those faces, and unmistakably, these are children. Frightened children. Desperate, scared kids who don't know what's next. But they expected whatever they were running to was better than what they were running from.
Some of the politicos are holding out for a "send them back" strategy. In their minds, it's not America's fault that these children's countries are torn by strife, drug running, gangs and other power struggles that put children in the middle. They don't see the kids as refugees, wanting a safe life. They see them as property -- property that got shipped here illegally. Get rid of it. Get rid of a problem.
Problem is, it's not a cargo container. It's a vulnerable child, caught in the middle.
Before you sleep tonight, get the image in your head of a child. Your sibling, your cousin, your child, your grandchild. The child in your waiting room or your Sunday School. And thank God for his or her safety. Then add one more prayer -- that other children, one day, will be blessed with peace.
How children and all baby animals tear at our heartstrings. Who doesn't have the image of a naked child running through the streets during Vietnam seared into their mind's eye? Some picture of Iraq or Afghanistan service members holding a dog?
Perhaps you've seen the recent image of someone aiming a gun at a cat. Or heard about feuding, divorcing adults battling over children, or even their pets. Occasionally the stories turn tragic.
Today, I ran into a friend. She has had a rough go of things for years. Her adult children are troubled addicts. I rarely go where I ran into her today, especially at that time of day. I'm sure that He was in control of that meeting. The "what's new in your life" small talk quickly turned into the information that she is now caring for three grandchildren. The kids needed stable adults in their lives. She and her husband were it.
No matter how crazy you think your life is, when given the choice over caring for your family's children or letting them go into state care, you set the other issues aside and care for your family. They are family. Ohana, to choose the Hawaiian word that explains the concept better.
Tonight in several border states, children are receiving minimal care in makeshift facilities as adults war over their next moves. Political refugees? Political pawns? Depends on where you stand. But look at those faces, and unmistakably, these are children. Frightened children. Desperate, scared kids who don't know what's next. But they expected whatever they were running to was better than what they were running from.
Some of the politicos are holding out for a "send them back" strategy. In their minds, it's not America's fault that these children's countries are torn by strife, drug running, gangs and other power struggles that put children in the middle. They don't see the kids as refugees, wanting a safe life. They see them as property -- property that got shipped here illegally. Get rid of it. Get rid of a problem.
Problem is, it's not a cargo container. It's a vulnerable child, caught in the middle.
Before you sleep tonight, get the image in your head of a child. Your sibling, your cousin, your child, your grandchild. The child in your waiting room or your Sunday School. And thank God for his or her safety. Then add one more prayer -- that other children, one day, will be blessed with peace.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
That 'issue' you're talking about? He's my neighbor
Do people respect each other anymore?
I think about that a lot lately, when I talk to people. When two people agree about one or more issues, everything is fine. When they don't, that's when I start watching. And what I see isn't very appealing. No wonder why our politicians don't work together. Even the simplest disagreements spark ugly conflicts.
I think I'm a fair observer of people. And I watch. From the national politicians down to neighbors, I encounter the same reactions when people agree:
Councilman Jones gets on the council. Even though municipal government is supposed to be a non-partisan contest, we all know Councilman Jones comes from "that party," so part of the community won't even start a discussion with him, because he must agree with his part about things like growth, water supply, open space, jobs, transportation, etc. Why even bother opening our mouths, because if we disagree, it will be unproductive. Either a majority of the council agree with my perspective or they don't, why talk about it?
A lot of people in this community are unemployed or underemployed. Having better paying jobs would not only benefit them but the entire tax base. But bringing in more industry would also likely bring in more people, more traffic, and other issues that the leadership doesn't want. So rather than upset the apple cart, the leadership continues to welcome low-paying retail and hospitality businesses to the town. It won't deal with the issues that this choice perpetuates -- the need for affordable housing, community services, young people leaving the area to pursue better employment opportunities, and degradation of neighborhoods.
Thousands of young people begin flooding the borders, crossing into our nation through other than legal challenges, calling themselves refugees. The system is not prepared to handle these individuals. Some people think they should be sent back. Other people believe that our country needs to take steps to protect them, as they fear for their lives in their homeland. Still others believe we need to go fix whatever is happening in their country so they can stop leaving their homeland. The people aren't part of the discussion -- politics, money and external aggression are the cards we play.
At some level, people need to sit down and start talking about what is best for our communities, our citizens, our nation. Cast aside the normal politics and start talking about what is the right decision, long-term: locally, regionally, nationally. And at the same time, start dealing with the here and now. That person who can't get into a reasonably priced apartment or house -- he is my neighbor. That couple who can't find a place to live or work because of an arrest record for which they've already served time, they are my neighbors. That person who has to choose between food and medication -- she is my neighbor. That child who moves to the big city to find a decent job -- she's my neighbor. That young scared teenager who just risked his life to come here from Guatemala -- he's my neighbor.
I think about that a lot lately, when I talk to people. When two people agree about one or more issues, everything is fine. When they don't, that's when I start watching. And what I see isn't very appealing. No wonder why our politicians don't work together. Even the simplest disagreements spark ugly conflicts.
I think I'm a fair observer of people. And I watch. From the national politicians down to neighbors, I encounter the same reactions when people agree:
- I don't agree with you, but I'm not going to get into a debate about it. We can agree to disagree. This is the simple form. And honestly, not the most common reaction.
- I don't agree with you, and I've tuned you out for the moment so I can start coming up with my own arguments to try to convince you you're wrong. I'm not listening anymore.
- I don't agree with you. You're completely full of lies and you probably watch CNN or Fox News (whichever I don't watch), and I'm going to resort to my name-calling, put you in a category response.
- I don't agree with you and I've now put you in my category of people to whom I will never talk to about anything of consequence again.
Councilman Jones gets on the council. Even though municipal government is supposed to be a non-partisan contest, we all know Councilman Jones comes from "that party," so part of the community won't even start a discussion with him, because he must agree with his part about things like growth, water supply, open space, jobs, transportation, etc. Why even bother opening our mouths, because if we disagree, it will be unproductive. Either a majority of the council agree with my perspective or they don't, why talk about it?
A lot of people in this community are unemployed or underemployed. Having better paying jobs would not only benefit them but the entire tax base. But bringing in more industry would also likely bring in more people, more traffic, and other issues that the leadership doesn't want. So rather than upset the apple cart, the leadership continues to welcome low-paying retail and hospitality businesses to the town. It won't deal with the issues that this choice perpetuates -- the need for affordable housing, community services, young people leaving the area to pursue better employment opportunities, and degradation of neighborhoods.
Thousands of young people begin flooding the borders, crossing into our nation through other than legal challenges, calling themselves refugees. The system is not prepared to handle these individuals. Some people think they should be sent back. Other people believe that our country needs to take steps to protect them, as they fear for their lives in their homeland. Still others believe we need to go fix whatever is happening in their country so they can stop leaving their homeland. The people aren't part of the discussion -- politics, money and external aggression are the cards we play.
At some level, people need to sit down and start talking about what is best for our communities, our citizens, our nation. Cast aside the normal politics and start talking about what is the right decision, long-term: locally, regionally, nationally. And at the same time, start dealing with the here and now. That person who can't get into a reasonably priced apartment or house -- he is my neighbor. That couple who can't find a place to live or work because of an arrest record for which they've already served time, they are my neighbors. That person who has to choose between food and medication -- she is my neighbor. That child who moves to the big city to find a decent job -- she's my neighbor. That young scared teenager who just risked his life to come here from Guatemala -- he's my neighbor.
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