An open letter to Congress

An Open Letter to Congress

After watching stories of 9/11 heroes this past week, my mind went back to you, our elected officials in Congress.  I found myself feeling physically ill.

Collectively, you are an embarrassment to those who elected you, an embarrassment to our nation, an embarrassment to our constitution, and an embarrassment to your institution.  While our democracy represents the very best model of government in the world, you represent the very worst of it.  Your childish, spoiled, self-serving approach to governing is not only completely ineffective, it is a complete waste of our tax dollars, which pay your salaries.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats have all the right answers.  Neither Republicans nor Democrats are always wrong.  Yet collectively, because of your total focus on getting re-elected and making your own party look good, you as an institution are responsible for the fact that none of our major problems are being solved.

I am not a politician.  I am not a professional in finance or political science.  I am just an average citizen.  However, I would happily debate any of you publically regarding your behavior and approach to the issues, as your collective approach to governing this nation is indefensible.  If I were granted supreme power for a day, of all the things I could do, I would easily choose to have every single one of you fired, and start over with a whole new group.

I challenge each of you to do what you were elected to do.  That being serve this country, all of its citizens, by finding ways to solve our problems.  Real people are hurting.  Real people are suffering.  Real people’s lives are at risk.  Consider ideas regardless of where they come from.  Respect your colleagues, work together, compromise, and focus on finding solutions to the issues that are degrading our very way of life.

Stop acting like children, be adults, be civil, treat others as you would like to be treated.  Most of all, make serving the country your number one priority, above party, above re-election.  The heroes of 9/11 are looking down on you.  Based on your behavior over the past few years, can you truly raise your head and look them in the eyes?