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Election Over, What Now?by
Peary Perry | |
Well,
we have the election over and now we can get back to the health ads on the news
rather than the ones on the politicians. I switched channels the other night and
tuned in on MTV and then Nickelodeon for a few moments, their commercials are
entirely different.
First off, none of this death and dying stuff. Not
a pain pill or supplement in sight, it was a welcome relief. I stayed about five
minutes since I wasn't able to understand anything that was being said on either
channel.
So, did the Democrats win or did the Republicans lose? I think
it all depends upon your point of view. A case can surely be made that the Republicans
lost, but why? Well, for one thing they haven't been taking care of business like
they should. Even though they have had control of both houses, look at how little
has actually been accomplished in the past few years. The same can be said of
the Democrats, did they win? Well, of course they did, but at what price? What
will they do in the next couple of years that is any better or that will achieve
any longer lasting results than what the Republicans have already done? The proof
will be in the pudding. Whose feet can they now lay the blame for any future failures?
It'll be interesting to see how much they posture and how much actually gets done
in the coming months.
In my mind this election should show all of the
politicians, at all levels of government just how most of us are fed up with politics.
I believe the average American is caught in the middle, between the far left and
the far right. We are tired of partisan game playing, corrupt members of congress,
special interests and treatment to those who buy influence by campaign contributions.
I don't have the resources to buy a politician. I wouldn't know what to do with
one if I had one.
I have always said that I always thought all persons
seeking elected office did so with the best intentions in mind. I truthfully believe
they go into politics in an effort to get something changed for the betterment
of the public they represent. I believe the system corrupts them once they arrive.
I think the system is not one of simply black and white, but of a dull shade of
gray. Each publicly elected official is forced to make so many compromises in
order to achieve anything of importance that their principles get watered down
in the process. This situation makes the average voter a bit wary when it comes
to believing anything that is said by any politician. It looks to me as if they
spend all of their time worrying about how to get reelected rather than putting
forth any effort on the issues that we are facing each day.
Were we wrong
to jump into Iraq? No, I think Hussein was a weapon of mass destruction. Where
we messed up was in not having a planned exit strategy to allow us to leave in
some orderly fashion. What to do now? How can we leave and not be faced with another
Vietnam situation?
What should we do about the immigration problem? We
need the workers, they are important to us in many industries, but how to control
the negative effects we have allowed to happen over these past couple of generations?
How can we be fair and firm at the same time?
Our dependence on foreign
energy is at sixty percent or higher. Need I say more?
Our education system
is in a shambles and our young kids are falling further and further behind the
kids in the rest of the world. What is the solution to this problem and how long
will it take to fix something as massive as this?
Crime, social security,
healthcare, Medicare, budget deficits are all issues which need attention by everyone
elected to public office. These are the items that matter to those of us in the
heartland of this country.
We are tired of picking up the paper every
morning and reading about some elected official getting arrested for stealing
or influence pedaling. We are tired of cover-ups and lies. If you screw up, just
say so. We do and we expect you to stand up and admit it. These are the things
we teach our kids as they are growing up. You wouldn't think we would need to
go over such basics with adults elected to high office.
Last but not least,
let's eliminate the term 'bi-partisanship', which is the same term we had in elementary
school for 'plays nice with others'. This isn't first grade; you are now in the
real world. Your decisions and stance on issues has an effect on all of us. Try
and get along for a change.
Come on folks, no one said you had to all believe
the same things, but good gosh, it seems to me and a lot of the folks I've talked
to happen to agree that the word 'bi-partisanship' is due for retirement.
Why haven't you folks been practicing this since you got started? It isn't like
it should be a new concept. When you were elected didn't you know there would
be people who didn't agree with what you thought or were trying to accomplish?
Perhaps if you had been more aware, then more progress might have been
made and we would have been further on down the road. |
© Peary Perry
Letters From
North America >
November 16, 2006 column
Syndicated weekly in 80 newspapers
Comments go
to www.pearyperry.com | | |
