Living on the left or the right

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We have entered a time in national politics that if you listen to the media reports, we the American voters are the most divided that we’ve ever been. We’re so frustrated with the status quo that we’re mired so deeply in the middle on major issues that the elected representatives all have to vote for or against legislation. That there is an inherent bias with voters, be it to the left or right that prevents honest substantive debate and resolution at the legislative level ... to that I say it’s not us — it’s them.

I’ll concede that we’re so fed up as voters that no incumbent is safe. And we simply don’t trust Congress anymore, but that’s all on them. It comes from both sides too. Be it from the left or the right, no one in the federal government should be free of the most damning criticism.

Congress has gone from an elite group of elected officials that legislate based on the general consensus of the American people to an arrangement of morally-starved hacks that legislate based on political agendas. They’ve dug the lines in the sand between the left and the right so deeply that they’re trenches — and trench warfare is how they debate. Our political system has turned into an ongoing contest between the left and the right with the results as the determining factor of who won. The problem is that the results are a couple of percentage points in a poll, or a seat in one of the houses, or even a presidential election win. With those criteria determining the winner, the American people lose. It’s the real everyday improvements to the lives of the voters that should be the results that determine wins and losses.

The current climate on Capitol Hill doesn’t allow for legitimate change in this country because both parties are turning within and eating their own. You have to believe in big government and taxes galore, or you’re not liberal enough. By the same token, you have to live by the book of Leviticus and sleep with your assault rifle, or you’re not conservative enough. That’s where the problem lies. Elected politicians in this country, in order to enjoy a long career, must serve their respective parties first, the lobbyists second, and the people third. That formula is the elixir that has led our government to its current state of gridlock, bickering, filibusters and inaction.

Right now senators and congressmen who blur party lines in an effort openly debate issues are labeled weak or rogue by their own party. They’re so concerned about re-election, and the money and political support it requires, that no one even tries. So we have a Congress that works on extremes. One side writes bills that cost astronomical amounts of money, and the other side says no way, and then offers no real solution. Then one side appears on Keith Oberman’s show and the other on Glenn Beck’s show talking about how the other side is stopping the political process. Oberman brings up Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton, and Beck brings up Che Guevara and Adolph Hitler and both spin the situation into something that is simply cloudy and counterproductive.

So, how as the people, do we wade through the muck? We have to remain educated and on top of the issues. Take the Health Care Reform Bill for example; when broken down into its parts (public option, portability, pre-existing conditions, premium reduction) it’s an overwhelmingly popular bill. When the bill is talked about in its entirety, you’d think Satan was touring downtown Washington D.C., had a sharp pain, and gave mythical demon-birth to it. This is the result of the way it was reported in the “media,” and reacted to by the right-wing politicians. So, we must remain diligent in our acquisition of knowledge. We must ask ourselves whether or not the government officials we’ve elected are positively impacting our lives on a fundamental level. If the answer is no, then it’s time to fire them.

Jake Walters, formerly of Buda, now resides in Peoria. He can be reached at jakewalters@writemail.com.