Shutdown

              Are there any adults left in our government?

Whether you side with the Wasquelly Wepublicans or the Dimwit Democrats makes no difference. This government shutdown is being handled in a most irresponsible manner in a way that is apparently intended to harm the most number of people.

And it’s only a partial shutdown at that. A full 85% of the government is fully operational. And may I remind you that though the private sector can be affected by this government shutdown, most businesses and industries will manage to carry on with little impact. It’s a bit of a yawner really.

But, when our World War Two veterans, the youngest of which is perhaps 88, are barred from visiting their own War Memorial in our nation’s capital; and when our military chaplains are told they cannot provide religious services to our troops; and when a veteran and his wife are forced from their home which happens to be on federal land; and when independent businesses that are in no way connected to the federal government are forced to close their doors to business, then I found myself getting just a bit agitated.

The capper for me was when the families of our most recently fallen soldiers in Afghanistan were not afforded the customary courtesy of having transportation provided by the government to meet the casket of their loved one at Dover Air Force Base, Maryland, to then be accompanied to the final resting place, and the Death Benefits check was also not provided, I was seething. This is utterly irresponsible! It is despicable that our nation’s leaders would not stand up in unity to defend those in our military “who gave that last full measure of devotion.” Such inaction on the part of our government, particularly a Defense Department that would be complicit in this, is absolutely unconscionable.

As I said at the outset – I don’t care what your political views are – the proper respectful and expected treatment of those who have voluntarily stepped forward to serve their country in times of peace and war should always be honored. For instance, many of our Vietnam veterans were roundly criticized for being “women and baby killers.” They also endured insults and lies about their service, and their names and character impugned daily within the press. "Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR." ~ Vietnam Pilot.

As I write this article we are thirteen days into this shutdown – and there does not seem to be any success of the two parties coming together to break the stalemate between the fractious Republican and Democrat Parties.

I know that I am not alone in my disgust with our elected officials and their sycophantic media lapdog that is more than just a little bit complicit in the failure to report actual news. Instead, they are agenda-driven, willingly advocating for the removal of the Constitution, declaring it to be an “antiquated, outdated set of laws established by rich white men.”

It appears to me that our American society today has forgotten the difference between democratic ideals and the role of a republic. “The democratic ideal of self-government is the idea that people can rule themselves. This goes back to the Enlightenment in the 1600s, fostering the idea that kings and political leaders are not chosen by God; that man is born free, and he voluntarily gives up a little of his freedom to form a government in return for social order. The government works for the people, not the other way around; and when a government no longer serves the people's needs, they have both the right and the duty to make whatever changes are necessary, or to abolish that government and come up with a new one that better serves their needs.”

The role of a republican government, on the other hand, is a different concept. “The role of citizens in a republican government is to decide who shall represent them. This makes the people not give up their voice in government.”

So here is the crux of the matter: We are a republic. We freely elect those who will represent us within the government – everything from local to federal. The democratic ideal is the idea that everyone is equal before the law. So it falls upon us as the electorate to choose wisely those who would seek to represent us. If you do not like those who are currently holding elected office, then do something about it! Get involved supporting those who would share your beliefs and ideals and then get them elected. By the same token, work diligently to defeat those who do not represent you well.

We can fuss and moan all day long about the nonsense that passes for representative government in Washington DC today, but until we oust these “snake-oil salesmen,” we have no one to blame but ourselves. We are a year away from the mid-term elections. So get involved now! I know I am. Are you?

I want my government to represent me again.