A Self Serving Venture
Do you ever just tire of the government? Oh, I am well aware that it is necessary to keep our society in order and moving, but sometimes I wonder just how in touch any government is with their people. Not just on the Federal level, but on the State and local level, as well. On the Federal level, most have long since forgotten what it is like to be a citizen rather than a legislator. The daily issues that impact us the most are simply lost on most of our National elected officials. Sure they spout rhetoric about the average man for a sound bite, but I doubt that few could even identify the issues that average citizens face on a daily basis. Being out of touch seems to be the one quality that crosses party lines.
On the State level, we spend money, to the tune of multiple millions of dollars, for contracts with testing companies and yet our teachers are making nearly $8,000 less than the National average. We have an Education Commissioner that has Tennessee Superintendents signing petitions expressing their concern regarding the Department of Education, yet we place more and more stress on the classroom teacher.
Locally, our elected officials form useless committee after committee, for no other apparent reason than to use those committee appointments as a stick to beat each other with. And if that isn’t enough, there are the seemingly endless and embarrassing meetings that point out, with crystal clarity, that there are some people that simply do not need to hold an elected position. They, who live in our neighborhoods and supposedly represent our communities, are so obsessed with each other that they have forgotten the reasons that they ran for office in the first place. They are certainly not in touch with their constituents or they would talk less and listen more.
All in all, the government has become a disappointment on so many levels. I am sure that this was not what our founding fathers had in mind when they weighed treason against principled freedom. I am sure that our veterans didn’t have this in mind when they took up arms to defend those principals and freedoms. It seems quite ironic that it is our government that is so out of touch. Then again maybe not. A government of the people, by the people and for the people only works if the voice of the people is still the loudest in the room. Otherwise, it is a self serving venture, at best.
