Having My Say Continues


1999 Article


February 3, 1999


The Forgotten Concept



If there is one glaring fact made visible by the past six years of Republican shenanigans, it is the necessity for political reform. This, of course, is not limited to campaign reform but falso includesother corruption caused by special interest groups and the quest for governmental power.

In addition, reform must result in the loss of every negative connotation of ‘politics and politician’ we now have because of a political system filled with people interested only in selfish gratification. In other words, reform must result in the removal of corrupted politicians.

We have spent millions upon millions of dollars for a Congress elected to do a job, the job of legislating properly the day-to-day operations of a government that blends us into one nation with our rights preserved.

Rather than doing that, however, the Republican Party has caused a great rip in the fabric that holds together 50 states together as a unified nation doing the most good for the most people while protecting the rights of the individual.

It should be apparent to each of us that party politics are absolutely out of control, that the primary concern of those we have elected to Congress is not the general welfare of the people, nor the securing of the blessings of liberty granted each of us in the form of God-given rights.

Their focus has been, and will be, on what is good for the party and/or its individual members. Never, except in rhetoric directed at the populace in the attempt to win votes, is the focus of leading politicians on the Constitutional rights of our citizens.

And, even with the rhetoric (which is all it has been) there is the underlying current of special interest groups and how any vote for legislation will affect the groups. As disruptive and corruptive as that is, it is clear that party power battles can only serve to weaken us as a nation and as a world power leading the way to individual freedom.

Friend be pitted against friend, family member against family member, worker against co-worker - that is the division caused by people who are as unsound philosophically as is their preaching of family values while preparing for an illicit affair, or speaking of integrity while doing political favors for special interest groups.

It should be clear that we need party politics out of Congress, that the legislative body be made up of people who are not only willing, but insist on party ties being dropped for the duration of their time in office. Each must be free to vote his conscience, not as political party leaders want them to vote on different issues. That is their job - that is integrity - that is indicative of strength of character.

Leaders must be muzzled to prevent their manipulating others with less power to their will. 'For the good of the party’, a favorite phrase of political party leaders, must be considered a treasonous act.

If not for the good of the people of this nation, then it is a treasonous act in the sense it is an act of rebellion act against the people of this nation, an act that could be, and has been in the past months, extremely disruptive.

Elected representatives are not in our Congress for the good of the party or the good of their special interest groups; they are there for, and only for, meeting the requirements in the Constitution, primarily that of assuring the rights of the individual, our inalienable rights, be preserved and to provide a common defense for the individual states. Anything less is indicative of their failure to perform the duties of their offices.

After all, if members of Congress take any form of gratuity, whether it be in the form of campaign funding or personal perks for which legislative favors are given in return, they have accepted a bribe or entered into a conspiracy, either of which is a high crime constituting an impeachable offense.

Why should we, the people of this nation, slave five full months of every year in support of a government that could care less about the fact that at least 60 percent, if not more, are in poverty, the so-called 'working poor'? That was never the intent of the founders of this nation, nor was the intent to set up a battlefield for rival political gangs.

Political party maneuvering for power - say it like it is - for the money power brings Washington politicians - MUST cease. Maneuvering of this nature serves no purpose other than increasing the coffers of the political party winning the most control.

During these battles, lies, distortions of the truth, mud-raking and the like, are what we are subjected to while needed legislation is put off or forgotten totally. Or, liberties are removed while the public is distracted by the actions.

Whether members of Congress like it or not, they are servants of the people. In every sense of the word, the people in Congress are elected employees, civil servants, and no more. The people are not, or should not be, servants to bend to every whim of Congress. Its only power is what we, The People, give to the government. That is what we, the People of this nation, must make government understand.

If we re-awaken this forgotten concept, perhaps we can clean up our government and force it to act within the limitations of government as established in the Constitution of the United States of America.

If not, then we might as well bow to becoming a totalitarian government with We, the People, serving Them, the Government.





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