I don’t usually get into politics here. In fact, normally I strictly avoid politics. I used to be a government employee and frankly have bad memories of the political games. But right now I’ve got a lot on my mind and feel the need for a public forum. So please be patient and know that this is not going to be a regular topic.
I’ve been watching what’s going on in Washington with the government shutdown and the comments people have been making. There’s a lot of petty bickering all around, at the capitol and from the public. And it bothers me. I remember learning about the legislative process as child. I remember my teacher explaining how bills were introduced, the voting process, and how some bills became law and some didn’t. One thing she said keeps coming to mind as I watch what’s happening with this shut down. She told us the political parties had different ideas, but that they worked together to do what is best for the country.
Right now I feel the trust I had as a child learning about the process of running the country has been utterly betrayed. This confrontation violates every single thing I learned about the legislative process and the elected officials who are supposed to represent the interests of the American people.
Held Hostage Over 2,000 Pages
The conflict is not really about the health care law. It’s about circumventing the legislative process. Now, don’t leave comments on that, I won’t post them. The bickering is bothering me, remember, I’m not offering this as a forum for more conflict. The health care law is something new and controversial. It will do some good, and have some problems. The bill was over 2,000 pages for crying out loud, no legislation that long can be efficient. But the majority passed it. It was challenged in the Supreme Court and found constitutional. All of this was per the legislative process I learned as a child.
Now, I can’t look it up because the websites are down but to my knowledge there has not been a single bill introduced to delay or modify the law that was passed. Instead a group of our elected officials have refused to work out a budget until they get their way regarding this particular law. This is not the legislative process. It is holding the country hostage. It is a ransom demand. And to the NSA, CIA, FBI, or any other agency who are checking on these keywords, I’m not some crazy radical with violent intentions. But this is how I see this shut down.
I’ve heard a lot about the President refusing to negotiate. But, honestly, I don’t think he can. The demands to change the health care law are jumping over the entire legislative procedure. And in my experience as a government employee, any time a procedure is bypassed once, it happens over and over and over. In my opinion if any president at any time gives in to the hostage mentality we will see this kind of shut down every year over one issue or another.
I don’t think the American public should stand for this. We elected these people. We are their employers. We can, and should, fire any legislator, House or Senate, Republican or Democrat, who holds the country hostage by refusing to follow the legislative process. This means passing a budget now, without threats. It means dealing with the debt problem now, without threats. It means addressing concerns with the health care law via the established legislative process, not by behaving like terrorists and taking the nation hostage until demands are met.
Elections are too far away for us to wait to fire these individuals. In my opinion we should be demanding the immediate resignation of any and all legislators that refuse to do the job we elected them for, starting with the Speaker of the House. America is not the legislators, it is all of us. The American public has a voice and it’s time to start using it.
AMEN!