Apologizing for misbehaving has a lot to do with this change in behavior. And 22+ years of sobriety have taught me that, yes, I do need to apologize. And really? I'd rather avoid having to apologize.
This past week, however, with all the mad-crazy-insane crap spewing forth from Washington, DC, has me a little ... unsettled.
Democrats in West Virginia were informed last week that the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was being postponed this year due to the government shutdown. It was originally scheduled for this coming Saturday, and will now be held November 2.
I didn't get angry when I got the e-mail. Oh, maybe a little, because I truly think the Tea Party and its ilk are guilty of high crimes and treason and sedition and extortion and intimidation and manipulation. And also they're not doing their jobs.
Nope, instead of angry, I got scared. Scared because – and I know you've both heard and/or read this before – a small group of one branch of government seems to be holding the rest of us hostage. Because they're not getting their way.
They don't seem to care. And here's what they don't care about:
- Taking these United States of America right off a cliff
- Our reputation in the rest of the world
- Increasing unemployment numbers, as furloughed workers file for benefits
- Food safety
- NIH clinical trials
- The Constitution of these United States
What they do care about is undermining President Obama's signature legislation, a LAW which has been PASSED and UPHELD by the Supreme Court of the United States. Laws are amendable, not negotiable. If and when the GOP ever regains control of Congress and the White House at the same time, then they can attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I don't know when or how or if EVER that will happen.
It will never happen, if I have anything to do about it.
So back to the dinner. Our state's two Democrat Senators and lone Democrat Congressman are busy fighting with Republicans in Congress working toward a solution to the government shutdown. Since the dinner was going to be a celebration of our senior Senator Jay Rockefeller's service to West Virginia (he won't be running for re-election next year), it's fitting that the dinner be postponed. Also, the keynote speaker will be the Vice-President. I expect he's kind of busy this week, too.
Our junior Senator scares me more than the GOP most of the time sometimes. He was, at first, in favor of delaying the implementation of the ACA. Someone convinced him he needs to stand strong with his fellow Democrats this time. (He's not known for his voting consistency.)
I read yesterday that he favors spending cuts to get a deal to raise the debt ceiling.
I'm no expert. I assume that We The People elect representatives because they know more about fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings and government funding than we do.
What I do know is that that if his spending cuts affect the sick, the poor and the elderly (via cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security), but don't affect defense and the military … well, I guess We The People aren't who he represents after all.
2 comments:
I think most people are disgusted and angry about this. Shameful an sad at the same time too.
I'm with you on this one. And, as horrible as this shut-down is, I don't want Obama to back down. The U.S. policy has always been that we don't negotiate with terrorists, and that's what the Republican party is right now. Letting them get away with hostage-taking the entire country sets a truly frightening precedent.
You know, there's a tendency in every generation to think "THIS thing is going to destroy the country!" And yet we always manage to muddle through. Whether we come out better or worse is debatable. But in my 5 decades of end-of-the-world scenarios, I'm terrified that this time it's really going to happen. You think about any other former world power, whether it's Rome or Persia or Spain or Britain, and how they eventually lost that power, and it's clear that no empire or country is eternal. We were a prosperous, stable, world power that is now crumbling economically and bordering on literal anarchy, all due to the... I don't even know what to call it. The misguided opinions of hate-crazed fanatics. That's the kindest way I can express it.
We've all got to work very hard to change this course, and it seems being politically active is the foundation of change. I no longer have any patience with anyone who doesn't vote because "both choices are bad." That's a childish cop-out. And merely voting isn't enough - I admire so much how involved you are in working for what you believe.
And then, too, I hope for something miraculous to happen. If crazyassbadweirdshit can happen, then perhaps wonderful changes can spontaneously occur too.
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