For
a long time now trust in our government has been declining. There are a
multitude of reasons, most of which we all know about or at least
suspect but are unable or unwilling to do anything about. The below
link (internal links, too) highlights some of the reasons for our
distrust.
Repeatedly
returning to office politicians who promise change but maintain the
status-quo has not worked, never will. So why do we do it? Thinking
someone else will fix the problems has not worked either, never will.
All of us are obligated to do our part to make the system work - its not
someone else's job. It is collectively our job. Given that only 30% of
Americans trust government, you would think that rest of us (the 70%
who don't) would be doing our jobs by researching candidate positions
before voting for them, routinely engaging them on matters of
importance, keeping track of their voting records, stud;ying the
issues, writing letters to the editor, engaging within our communities
and with family and friends, etc.. Most of us don't. Why? Too busy,
not enough time, too much work, not qualified, might offend someone,
don't know how, etc.. The fact is that we have allowed temerity and
political correctness to limit our free expression to just a few
intimates and even then we proceed as if on egg shells. Instead, we
hide our concerns and hope someone else will deal with them. Not going
to happen. Consequently, the vast majority of us who are unhappy with
the trajectory of our country and the performance of elected officials
have been derelict in our duty. We have not engaged. The successful
functioning of any democratic republic is not possible without an
informed and engaged citizenry. Allowing a few hundred elected
officials, thousands of bureaucrats and special interest lobbyists in
Washington have a free hand in determining the fate of the rest of us
more than 300 million people has resulted in the bind we are in. We,
the voting and tax paying public, have not punished irresponsible,
incompetent, unethical and even illegal governance at the ballot
box; nor, for the most part, has the judicial system done its job. The
same holds at state and local levels. So, it is safe to say, with few
exceptions, that the troubles we face are largely a consequence of our
own complacency, our failure to stay informed and involved. Too many of
us limit ourselves to complaining and wondering when someone will do
something. Not going to happen; never has, never will. Necessary
fixes will only come from the energy and actions of the 300 million of
us who are now disengaged. The disengaged must now engage, and
soon. It's really not a matter of choice, it's our job.
George Burns
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