I like it. I think it is a wondrous thing that we the people collectively make choices that determine the future of our town, our state, and our nation. It is exciting. It is a privilege. It is an opportunity to advance civilization.
No really, it is. I hear your snickering. I see your eye rolling. Shame on you.
Electing our representatives is our part, and the most important part, of making sure our representative government is exactly that, representative.
And that it works.
And so it is important that we do our part of the work. Dig for the truth and when you find as much of it as you can, make a reasoned decision. We complain about government not working. I suggest that is our fault. We have not done the serious work of being voters. There are plenty of elections when most of us don't even vote. And when we do, we may not be voting based on truth. There are a lot of people spending a lot of money to control the things we watch, listen to and read who have no regard for the truth. They are well trained at pushing our emotional buttons, with no regard for veracity. They are hoping for our ignorance. And far too often we oblige.
Consider a couple of tonight's sobering headlines:
A person who was infected with Ebola is hospitalized and quarantined in Dallas. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) is the primary agency of the federal government addressing the crisis. Two weeks ago special American troops were deployed to Africa to assist in controlling the epidemic.
ISIS continues to hold its ground in Iraq despite continued air strikes from the United States in Iraq and Syria, and the UK in Iraq, assisted by other middle eastern nations. Questions abound in the minds of Americans, like others world wide, about whose boots will be on the ground.
Domestic violence and particularly violence against women, failure of the secret service to protect the President and his family, and continuing incidences of violence that appear to be race based are the secondary stories.
The economy, which everyone is concerned about, barely makes the news. Immigration, minimum wage, fair pay for women, tax reform, poverty, health care, the budget, the debt, all hot topics in the past few months, struggle for attention.
Struggle for attention, not only from the news outlets. Not only from us.
But these critical issues long for attention from Congress. The folks we will be voting on.
We wonder whether we are at war. We wonder if more is needed in the Ebola fight. We wonder if our nation's capital is safe for public officials and American citizens.
And during the months of August, September, and October, while the nation is facing crisis after crisis that cries out for the input of the people, our representatives are silent.
Congress has chosen to be in session for twelve days in the months of August, September and October. While we don't know if we are at war, in Syria and Iraq, or against a horrible virus, Congress is AWOL.
Fortunately, microphones can pick up their sound bites from anywhere.
But not in the halls of Congress.
It is empty.
I guess they're just chillin' the autumn away as well.
.
Consider a couple of tonight's sobering headlines:
A person who was infected with Ebola is hospitalized and quarantined in Dallas. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) is the primary agency of the federal government addressing the crisis. Two weeks ago special American troops were deployed to Africa to assist in controlling the epidemic.
ISIS continues to hold its ground in Iraq despite continued air strikes from the United States in Iraq and Syria, and the UK in Iraq, assisted by other middle eastern nations. Questions abound in the minds of Americans, like others world wide, about whose boots will be on the ground.
Domestic violence and particularly violence against women, failure of the secret service to protect the President and his family, and continuing incidences of violence that appear to be race based are the secondary stories.
The economy, which everyone is concerned about, barely makes the news. Immigration, minimum wage, fair pay for women, tax reform, poverty, health care, the budget, the debt, all hot topics in the past few months, struggle for attention.
Struggle for attention, not only from the news outlets. Not only from us.
But these critical issues long for attention from Congress. The folks we will be voting on.
We wonder whether we are at war. We wonder if more is needed in the Ebola fight. We wonder if our nation's capital is safe for public officials and American citizens.
And during the months of August, September, and October, while the nation is facing crisis after crisis that cries out for the input of the people, our representatives are silent.
Congress has chosen to be in session for twelve days in the months of August, September and October. While we don't know if we are at war, in Syria and Iraq, or against a horrible virus, Congress is AWOL.
Fortunately, microphones can pick up their sound bites from anywhere.
But not in the halls of Congress.
It is empty.
I guess they're just chillin' the autumn away as well.
.
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