Once upon a time there was an honorable profession called politics. It was honorable because, put simply, it implied a desire to do good works, especially when it came to serving in government as a worker or a public official. People were lauded when they wanted to serve in this way. They were welcomed at community gatherings; they were willingly included in civic events.
A great infection developed...
Then something happened. Over decades the aspect of “public servant” dropped from the picture…not entirely, of course, there were those who still wanted to do good work, at least initially. But a great infection developed, one which insidiously crept through most legislators and their staff, and it became known as self service rather than public service. Some of its symptoms showed up as “Get re-elected at all costs…Secure the base.” Worse, the disease began to surface as “Destroy the opponent,” which is a battle statement, not a political tool and seemed as far from public service as possible.
Did we not care...
Were we, the public, asleep when our representatives turned public service into self service? Did we not care enough to get to the polls on election day or take an interest in what was being done in our names? Have we become so cynical that we look at governmental politics as something flawed beyond repair?
With liberty and justice for all.....
I certainly hope not. We do live in a democracy that needs the rough and tumble of honest, political debate and the informed heart of a citizenry. Would that we could become the open-spirited people who long to see a fair shake for everyone, which is inherent in a democratic society. Alexander Hamilton once called the citizenry “a great beast.” Imagine what could happen if the beast got mobilized toward a quest to remember itself as “One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
More
Essays About Everything is now available on Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment