It seems to
begin earlier and earlier every year. In
June of even-numbered years, a hard, heavy, and steady artillery fire of
political campaign ads begin to batter the American people. The barrage continues until the second
Tuesday of November, when citizens drag themselves to their polling places and
cast votes for their Congressional representatives and senators. Once these Congress members win election they
travel to Washington, D.C. to serve the interests of their constituents.
Or that is what they are supposed to
do, at least.
Last Wednesday the Senate, by a
54-46 tally, voted down every single piece of gun proposal brought forth since
the Newtown tragedy. An expansion of
background checks was seen as the most likely to pass as it was a fairly tame
proposal and was co-sponsored by two moderate Republicans. Even more important, however, was the public
support that an expansion of background checks enjoyed; 92% of Americans
favored the expansion. It did not pass.
This should expel any naïve and
childish assumption that the people in Washington represent anyone other than
themselves and their campaign donors.
92% of Americans favored the expansion.
I guess we should not be too surprised, this is the same Senate which does
not realize that fifty-four out of one hundred is a majority.
In September 2003, around 88% of
Americans favored invading Iraq. Apparently
launching a war requires less of a public opinion threshold than ensuring that people
who purchase firearms are not criminals.
At the end of March, the United
States Supreme Court heard case concerning the legality of California’s
Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, both of which prohibit
same-sex marriage. 70% of Americans
support the legalization of same-sex marriage.
In the lead up to the oral arguments, numerous politicians came out
publically in support of same-sex marriage, urging the Court to “do the right
thing” and strike down Prop 8 and DOMA.
If somehow the Court finds these two
prohibitory laws constitutional, those politicians will shrug and go about
their business. If they really cared
about doing the right thing about same-sex marriage, they would work together
and pass a national law repelling DOMA and replacing it with a law legalizing
same-sex marriages. After all, public
opinion is behind them. Although the inhabitants
of our dilapidated political system seemingly loath the opinionated masses and
disregard their thoughts and feelings.
Machiavelli said that it is better
to be feared than loved, but one must ensure to never be hated. Congress, drunk off the campaign donations of
wealthy individuals, lobbies, and businesses, apparently misread that
particular section as “it is best to be hated.”
The mind strains to think of a
single meaningful piece of legislation passed by Congress in the past four
years. The continuous game of
kick-the-can on the economy has done nothing but disillusion a public which
barely had any illusions to begin with. Immigration
reform has been talked about in the media but never seriously brought up under
the rotting rotunda of Congress. The
Affordable Care Act somehow made it through Congress but has found itself in
court more than Lindsay Lohan. The
Senate snuffed out a U.N. resolution which would have ensured the rights of
disabled children.
I’m a Political Science major and my ambition, my dream job, is to
represent my home district in the United States Congress. I want to believe—I need to believe—that
politicians can make a difference; that politicians can help people; that
politicians represent the American people.
But looking back at the political events of the past few years, the only
things I can think about are three words from a book I once read: Abandon all
hope.
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