I Can’t Blog Now, I’ve Got To Take This Call

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I’ve been writing about a host of issues regarding this great nation since I started this web site. There is a subject I’ve harped on from the onset, one that involves every American, and that subject is the idiocy known as the United States government.

More specifically, those elected to represent us in the U.S. House and Senate continue to amaze with their obvious lack of concern for those they mean to represent.

As each day passes we see more evidence of the growing disconnect between “us” and “them,” and make no mistake, the average person in America no longer has a voice.

Politicians and the talking heads have successfully driven a stake between us. White vs. black, Republican vs. Democrat, conservative vs. liberal, man vs. woman…American vs. American.

I served America for six years and would do so again if called upon. I love this country and would give my life for it. But I don’t like what we’ve become as a nation.

It’s my fault for allowing this country to reach a point where we can no longer engage in civil debate without name-calling, threats and to some extent, government intimidation.

Not only do I blame myself, I blame you too. I blame all of us for allowing the inner turmoil to have reached these heights. You may ask why I blame myself and every other American for the sad state of affairs we’ve helped create.

That reason, very simply, is because we’ve allowed the politicians to take control. We elected 535 people to serve us in the U.S. House and Senate, and now they have the unmitigated nerve to ignore us.

I don’t care which side of the political aisle you sit on and I don’t care where you stand on the issues. I don’t care what your skin color is, your sex, your sexual orientation, your religion or lack of religious belief, but I do care that we’ve allowed 535 blithering idiots to fail us, all 300 million Americans.

When I studied civics I came away believing that a democracy is a form of representative government, a government for the people, by the people.

Yesterday at a town hall meeting in Houston, Texas, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee took two calls on her mobile phone while she was supposed to be fielding a question from one of her constituents regarding the proposed health care reform.

Some have said Lee should be applauded for at least holding a town hall meeting when many representatives and senators have backed away from doing so.

I’m not one who applauds her. In fact, Representative Jackson’s actions are a perfect example of the disconnect I spoke of.

Because of all the heated exchanges that have taken place at town hall meetings around the nation, some politicians don’t want to expose themselves to citizens voicing their concerns.

I call that cowardice and a gross lack of leadership.

What are these politicians going to do in the event of a real crisis? Are they going to meet the challenges head on or are they going to tuck tail and run?

If these politicians think that health care reform has created a need for some to avoid meeting their constituents, what do you expect they’ll do when the fire gets really hot?

History has proven the fire will eventually get very hot. Terrorism isn’t going away. Oil reserves aren’t limitless. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural disasters will continue to cause major damage.

Where will those in Washington, D.C. be when they’re supposed to “lead” us at the most critical time? They’ll be in their bunkers while the rest of us are standing outside sifting through the rubble that was once our home.

I don’t want to stop at the politicians either. Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck and Bill Maher are all guilty too.

Every one of them are just as complicit in driving a wedge between us, with their commentaries amounting to nothing more than individuals pursuing personal agendas.

We’re allowing the members of the media to drive us into a frenzy over political issues that help Fox, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and ABC make a profit.

Offering an opinion and being politically conscience is fine. Questioning the government is too, but spewing venom night after night in an effort to assert personal and political views with the hope of capturing more followers isn’t good.

Journalism – and I use that word loosely in today’s society – has become rife with media outlets creating the news instead of reporting the news as they are supposed to do.

All of those aforementioned journalists, reporters, news people or whatever they want to call themselves consistently engage in battles with each other every night, with the minds and hearts of Americans – and ratings – at stake.

You’re being led by those in the media who like to believe they are more enlightened than you. You’re being led by people who have clearly sided with a particular political agenda, and regardless of what that agenda is, you’re the pawns in this chess game.

Don’t allow yourselves to be led by them.

You may not agree with some of the thoughts I’ve expressed. Some may not agree with anything I’ve written. But regardless of what you think, I want you to give thought to September 12, 2001.

I remember that day as perhaps the first day in my life where I recall America standing together. We stood as one that day, and when Americans come together there isn’t a more glorious nation on this earth.

I want you to try and remember that day and put it in context, using today’s unrest as a backdrop.

If we come together and take this country back from the politicians who have driven us apart, failing us miserably, and the media who have become subservient to political agendas, nothing can stop us from achieving greatness, the greatness our founding fathers envisioned.

Seize the day, be the masters of your own domain, think for yourself and force those elected to serve you to do just that.

If we can achieve that end, that is the day we will have set a new standard as the greatest day in America. The question is, do you want to help establish that greatness or do you wish to continue along this path that has proven to be fraught with danger?

I choose greatness.