What Cost Freedom?
By Adam Graham (05/29/06)
Our political system is a mess and it's not likely to get better anytime soon. Democrats may promise to end the culture of corruption, but there's no reason to believe that people who believe in moral relativism are going to turn our Capitol around. As the joint statement of Denny Hastert and Nancy Pelosi demanding evidence the FBI seized from the office of alleged crook Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-La) illustrated, the culture of corruption is a bi-partisan one.
Bill Clinton’s lying 1996 statement, “The era of big government is over” is the biggest joke of the political establishment as it’s bigger than ever. Trespassers flood our borders at an alarming rate and our attempts at enforcing them is a pathetic sham.
What solutions exist for a failed government. Democrats promise to end the culture of corruption and give us a long list of meaningless platitudes. They think we forgot about US national security being compromised for campaign contributions during the Clinton Administration, the countless independent prosecutors Janet Reno had to appoint to investigate numerous Clinton cabinet secretaries, and the last minute pardon to an international fugitive whose ex-wife had made a big contribution to Clinton. Last time the Democrats controlled Congress, many couldn’t balance their checkbooks, let alone the budget. Those Democrats who criticize the Republicans fiscal management for the past 5 years, always conveniently fail to mention that they had a budget deficit for their last 26 straight years as the ruling party.
Third parties are running as they always are. You have the Libertarians out to remind us that in the midst of great deficits, a Capitol full of corruption, and mass over-spending, and the War on Terror that people still need Pot legalized. You have the Constitution Party out running their usual seminar on how not to run campaigns. Like Planter’s, the Constitution Party provides plenty of nuts.
You have some Conservatives threatening to stay home on Election Day, like petulant children throwing a fit. Due to the multiple organizations vying for our attention and the inevitable battle of the egos, there’s no united Conservative plan to change this mess. All that remains consistent is the mess.
Some days, it’s far easier to give up than to keep fighting. There are many topics more pleasant than politics to write about. I’ve got two novels on the shelf that seem to be languishing due to all this political writing. There are far more profitable topics to blog about than politics. On some days, I want to shake the dust off, make my fortune and let the country do its thing.
Yet, time and time again, my conscience won’t let me. On Memorial Day, I read the stories of sacrifice by our soldiers who’ve died on the field of combat, and think of our Founding Fathers and am reminded there’s a duty, a sacred trust that has been passed down to we, the living.
It falls upon all Americans, regardless of their political persuasion to fight for a better America and its best destiny of freedom. I’ve been blessed to know people who’ve been willing to run for office under death threats. I’ve been blessed to know people who’ll stand up for what they believe, no matter what the cost.
So let us all soldier on through this distasteful mess, and renew our dedication to making America work. It requires us being the people who work the precincts, recruit the candidates, and even run for office ourselves. At times, it’s a challenge, but it’s the least we can do.
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