The Little Train That Couldn't

You have no idea how many times I've heard: That's the way the government is. There's nothing we can do about it. Maybe the democrats will win next time. Blah blah blah blah.

People, you don't get it. You are the government. What you want is what Uncle will give us. If we ask for a befuddled wish list like a little kid on Christmas, Uncle's policies and laws and campaign rhetoric is going to be just as befuddled.

How many rednecks, and I want a show of hands on this, have wanted to kick some Islamic terrorist ass for years? Do I hear a chorus of HoAhhs back there? You bet. Every testosterone toting one of us wanted to kick dirt in the face of those nasty little buggers for the cowardly attacks they've made on Americans for the last thirty odd years.

So now we have Iraq. Doesn't matter that the money trail points at a completely different reason for the war. We asked for it and we got it.

Everybody is sick of paying more taxes. So we ask for a tax break. We ask for cuts in government spending. We ask for social assistance. We ask for a strong defense against the bad guys of the world. We want to love our neighbors. We want our jobs.... ad infinitum.

So legislative and executive branch officials formulate policies, pass laws, execute executive orders to please the greatest number of people, or at least the loudest. Or the richest... What ever will ensure success at the next election. See, they really don't care what laws or policies are passed and implemented. They only want to be elected. That's where we get our power.

We the people. We speak out in a single chorus to our legislatures. We want honesty. We want fiscal responsibility. We want government support of our economy, of our educational goals, of our old age and infirmity.

We want the politicians to know we require a leader,who when questioned, and asked for true honest answers, will stop his SUV get out in the dirt risking their lives just like our sons and daughters in Iraq, and answer the real question with a real answer. Courage is a rare commodity, especially in our latest crop of leaders.

Speak up, write your congressman, or woman, or undetermined, and let them know that the echo out there is a nation of people asking for the same things. We the people are tired of politics as usual, tired of corporations buying power, tired of sound bite elections. Tell them that the people demand serious answers to the problems we are facing. Jobs and the loss of real earning power. Energy policy. (There's a subject for a couple more blogs. ) Health and elder care. Education and motivation of our children.

People it's time to speak up...