From uncharted to rough waters
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In My Humble Opinion
Jodi McDade
So, again as I write this, our government is still shut down, and the Democrats continue to not vote for the Continuing Resolution they originally supported that would reopen the government. Plus now people have been let go from their jobs, some people are working while not being paid, citizens are not receiving the benefits they have grown accustomed to, and the safety of our country is in question.
When those of us who support the Republican Party don’t agree with our elected officials we contact them in their offices – phone calls, emails, Facebook, etc. We share our displeasure and encourage them to change their positions. This is at both the state and national level!
When I was still involved with state politics a log was kept in each senator’s or representative’s office of opinions that were received from their constituents on any issue. They actually took the results of these logs into consideration when they voted. I’m not sure if that still happens, but it certainly should. A similar tally should be used at the national – or even local – level.
With that said, my question is do the Democratic voters do the same things? Do they contact their elected officials with their opinions on issues? If not, maybe it’s time to try it.
Elected officials (both parties) generally take polls to know if their constituents are going to support them in the next election. Then, they adjust their voting to help gain support if needed. They adjust their “opinions” and/or “policies” as needed.
Besides the issue of the shutdown, all voters should be concerned with the number of liberals, socialists and communists that are now running for elected office and who might have actually been elected this week.
Right now the government has abdicated their policies that were put in place way back in the 1960s. Up until that time, people who were struggling for one reason or another could count on their neighbors, charities and their churches to step forward to help them. But President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964, giving the government control of feeding the hungry.
Since then low-income citizens (and more recently, illegal immigrants) have depended on tax dollars to provide them with monthly benefits for food. Also added to those benefits have been free or low-cost housing, healthcare and education benefits, all for what has been an unlimited amount of time.
Instead of being a “hand up” during hard times, it has become a “hand out” for life. The rules made it difficult for neighbors, charities and churches to continue their assistance to the citizens.
So now we are seeing the results of how socialist and communist governments work. They will provide everything for free, but only what THEY want their citizens to have.
They will provide housing, but it may be in rundown apartments or houses; they will provide food, but only the kind they want to give; they will provide education, but only what they want taught. And these things are only provided if the citizens agree to the rules that are given. Also, keep in mind these programs are “benefits provided by the government,” not an “entitlement.” Entitlements are EARNED, not given.
I am hoping this shutdown will have been ended by the time you read this. Maybe after the election Tuesday the U.S. Senate can find at least five Democrats to support opening the government and then negotiating for the other issues.
Remember there is a County Commission meeting on Wednesday that may be worth attending. The Coosa County Historical Society will be providing the Commission with the petitions to save the former Extension Service building behind the courthouse. It would be great to have people also there in support of the effort.
Also, we will see if there is any additional discussion of the feud between the County Commission and the county administrator. It should be interesting. I sure wish the Commission had followed through on its verbal agreement years back to provide these meetings to the public via its website.
Until next week, please continue to pray for our citizens who are struggling to provide food for their families, for our elected officials in Washington, D.C., to grow up and stop the nightmare and for our citizens to find common ground. God bless you all!
