No What Without Representation?
We have all heard the familiar phrase, "No taxation without representation"–but what about no war without representation? No more military spending? Our government daily makes decisions on the direction of this country–but are they truly on behalf of us, the American people?
We tell ourselves that we take part in the democratic process by voting; this is all well and good, but does that act alone ensure that we do have true and accurate representation? Are our elected officials, sworn to protect the interests of the people, really representing our views, our wishes, our demands?
One of the most heated topics for debate in this country today is the Iraq war and corresponding issues, such as military spending and the withdrawal of our troops. Poll after poll shows that too many Americans do not support the war; most recently, a February 2006 Gallup poll shows that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. made a mistake in sending the troops to Iraq. But the voices of officials aren’t echoing the voices of their constituents. A November vote in the House of Representatives asking to bring the troops home was rejected 403-3. And a mid-March emergency spending bill overwhelmingly passed in the House to allocate $67.6 billion to the war effort.
In January, when talk of impeachment arose, polls showed that 52 percent of Americans thought Congress should impeach President Bush for illegal wiretapping. No one stood up for that majority. When Senator Russ Feingold later proposed a less severe form of discipline, a censure on the president, only one senator backed him. Forty-six percent of Americans, however, did.
In a time when the voices of lobbyists and special interest groups are the only ones that our elected officials are listening to; in a time when only 33 percent of the population supports Congress and 36 percent support the president, what is to be done? We could write letters to senators and congressmen. We could march on Washington and in our own hometowns. We could pamphlet the streets to educate the masses and incite them to action. We could be supporting third-party candidates who don’t have big-bucks donors dictating their every vote and action. We could run for office ourselves.
Or we could stand back and watch our country be swept under our feet by the unlawful powers-that-be because of our own apathy.
We tell ourselves that we take part in the democratic process by voting; this is all well and good, but does that act alone ensure that we do have true and accurate representation? Are our elected officials, sworn to protect the interests of the people, really representing our views, our wishes, our demands?
One of the most heated topics for debate in this country today is the Iraq war and corresponding issues, such as military spending and the withdrawal of our troops. Poll after poll shows that too many Americans do not support the war; most recently, a February 2006 Gallup poll shows that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. made a mistake in sending the troops to Iraq. But the voices of officials aren’t echoing the voices of their constituents. A November vote in the House of Representatives asking to bring the troops home was rejected 403-3. And a mid-March emergency spending bill overwhelmingly passed in the House to allocate $67.6 billion to the war effort.
In January, when talk of impeachment arose, polls showed that 52 percent of Americans thought Congress should impeach President Bush for illegal wiretapping. No one stood up for that majority. When Senator Russ Feingold later proposed a less severe form of discipline, a censure on the president, only one senator backed him. Forty-six percent of Americans, however, did.
In a time when the voices of lobbyists and special interest groups are the only ones that our elected officials are listening to; in a time when only 33 percent of the population supports Congress and 36 percent support the president, what is to be done? We could write letters to senators and congressmen. We could march on Washington and in our own hometowns. We could pamphlet the streets to educate the masses and incite them to action. We could be supporting third-party candidates who don’t have big-bucks donors dictating their every vote and action. We could run for office ourselves.
Or we could stand back and watch our country be swept under our feet by the unlawful powers-that-be because of our own apathy.
posted by Anonymous at 3/28/2006 10:28:00 AM
2 Comments:
Way to go. I really like this writing, very problamtic and analytical. That is what we get an education for. Nice work and way to speak out!
Wow. So what did you say you studied in college? It shows... You write extremely well. As for your argument, I agree with almost everything you said. Actually, everything you said makes mountains of sense to me. Sometimes the world isn't black and white though. I wish the political and ethical mess we are in could be solved in a day, or in one good-willed decision. The best course of action, like you said, is to START making the correct choices. Thanks for the insight.
Post a Comment
<< Home