The dissatisfied majority

The commercial version of Christmas invades our lives earlier every holiday season, as does the political wrangling. No sooner was Bush sworn in for a second term than the campaigning started. Granted, many are quite dissatisfied with the current administration, but please, give us a break from the endless parade of men and women assuring us they know best, convinced they have the answers and everyone else (including opponents within their own party) is wrong.

Do these political types know how dissatisfied we really are with our choices? That we’re tired of feeling like these are our only options?

Do they know that most Americans love their country and do everything they can to make it a great place? Do they know that we are what make this country work? Do they know that while they fail to pass budgets on time, embezzle money, cheat the system, have sex with inappropriate people in inappropriate places, fly around in airplanes and dine at the finest restaurants all on money that we provide, we keep the country moving? More often than not, it seems that we are making things work in spite of rather than because of politicians’ efforts.

Politicians’ failure to serve our country with integrity has rightly created dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, many Americans are taking that dissatisfaction out on each other. The extreme division we’ve been seeing in recent elections may be indicative of our frustration. Anxiety makes us zealous to get someone, “our” someone, in office. We hope he or she will truly lead, but with great disappointment, we soon understand that our candidate is grossly under-qualified and not what we had hoped for at all.

We cannot continue to tolerate hollow promises that never materialize. We must demand that our elected officials do what they signed up to do: Serve! If they are unwilling to work hard daily, compromise with each other for our good, and truly serve the people who have elected them, then they are fired, plain and simple.

But there are two things we can do. First, always vote. Second, carefully consider how you cast your vote. The time has long passed for party-line voting. It’s time for new ideas, creative thinking and mixed tickets. The politicians are predictable. Maybe if the voters weren’t, we’d see some real change.