Pinch of Salt

When one asks a random person on the street to give an opinion about politics, odds are you’ve only started off a media parrot that will proceed to talk for an eternity on concepts they know little to nothing about. Yet these strange and ignorant people know for an absolute fact that they must be right and all others wrong.  They believe this because the man on the glowing box told them to think so, and because of the current state of the average mind, this is enough.

            Now, assuming that you could refrain from allowing the words float through one ear and fall dribbling out the other, you’ll be given a plethora of useless knowledge on one to two Presidential candidates, depending on if any juicy gossip about an opposing candidate came up the night before.  This is ridiculous for three reasons: First, that the media—being the rating hunting sell-out of a corporation that it is—believes that the American citizen would much rather hear an in depth analysis on just what Obama meant when he used an old adage regarding a pig and lipstick than just what he plans to do to accomplish his lofty economic goals.  Second, that the typical voter would consider himself an expert on political affairs after reading an article on yahoo three weeks ago.  And third—the most important reason—is that with all the focus upon the Presidency, the other TWO branches of our government fall further into the background.

            Allow me to explain that last point.  I’m not suggesting that the Presidency itself is unimportant, far from it.  As Commander in Chief of the world’s greatest country, a true leader must be elected to hold the position as the most powerful leader in the world. That being said, the Presidency is not as important as so much of our country seems to think.

             Let’s take a slight trip back in time, to when the Framers of our Constitution wrote that inspired document.  After a one-sentence preamble, the first thing that the Framers put down on paper is the duties and powers of the LEGISLATIVE Branch.  At this point, my conversation would usually draw blank and confused looks from my listeners but here I hope that I have a refuge of the intelligent to speak to, so I’ll continue.  As you all know, the Legislative Branch is made up of two groups.  Those two groups are the Senate and the House of Representatives.

            The Senate is currently composed of 100 Senators, two from each state in the United States.  They each serve a six-year term, with a third of their seats being up for election every two years.  The House currently stands at 440 seats total, 435 of those being voting Representatives with 5 non-voting delegates.  These seats are up for election every two years.

            Now, these two groups are the men that pass the laws that this country runs by.  I’ll say that again.  Almost every major government decision MUST pass through these 535 men and women before it can be enforced by federal agencies.  Knowing that, take a step back and think of all the many things you believe our government is doing wrong.  Consider for a moment that in order for the majority of those things to have happened, 535 different people looked at that issue and the majority of them decided that it would be good for the nation.

            So where is the big fanfare when these seats go up for election?  Where do we hear the issues that are being discussed on the floor of the Senate?  Who are the outspoken heroes, giving stunning orations like those given by those who founded our country?

            Simple answer, they no longer exist.  Congress has become a cesspool of spineless cowards who only know how to look presentable and woo financial campaign supporters for the small price of whatever standard of honor they once held as human beings.  Combine that with such a deadlocked system of bitter rivalry between two parties—a situation in which one does not vote for an idea simply because someone from across the isle came up with it—and you have our Congress, fully a third of the power in our government.

            At the moment, Congress is enjoying the glowing approval rating of a stunning 18%.  But to highlight this incredible record-breaking achievement, consider that in 2002 the approval rating was sitting at 84%.  So in six short years, Congress has managed to alienate 66% of our country.  But this low rating is nothing new.  In fact, 2002 was the highest the rating has been in 40 years by almost double any other high point.

             The reason for this is simple.  Through inactivity and lack of care, the American public has allowed lying, thieving, corrupt, and power-hungry “officials” to be elected time and time again, even though they have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt they will do nothing they promised once they return to their little domain in which they pretend they rule over the ignorant and weak masses of American citizens that they are supposed to represent completely and totally.  And because the typical American does not realize what each Representative is capable of, they continue to blindly send politicians to seats that honest men and women should hold.

            Imagine what would happen if true Leaders of Mankind would run for these positions.  Those such as George Washington of old, that would reluctantly do their DUTY for their country and return to plow their fields as soon as they possibly could.  Men that truly would enact this vaunted “Change” that so many promise, yet none deliver.  Our modern career politicians are one of the lowest forms of life left on the planet.  They care more for their next reelection campaign than they do for actually benefiting those that elect them.  Instead of 535 men more concerned with what those who financed their election think than what the right thing to do as a human being with a backbone would be, let us send 535 honest, hard-working decent individuals to go to Washington.  You can have a Presidential candidate say they’ll “clean up Washington” as soon as they’re in office, but I would rather have a mass of Jeffersons, Franklins, and Washingtons oust the current vermin infesting Congress and replace them with a group of men ready to take on problems with a smile and size twelve boot.

 -Aethalides

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