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A Different View on the US Government Shut Down

As I watched the news last night I had an epiphany that I thought I would share. Everyone is mad at the Congress for the "shutdown" of the US Government. The Democrats and President blame the Republicans and the Republicans blame the President and the Democrats. There was so much rhetoric and finger pointing -  so much hatred and anger. It made me sad and disappointed in us as a country. Then it hit me. We are a Democracy (or a Democratic Republic as the conservatives would say) and as such our elected officials are a reflection of us. We elect them - we choose them and we drive them to some extent. So is it any wonder that we have such a divided Congress? After all we have a very divided country.

In my 35 years of living here I have never seen such a divided America. Sure we have had differences before and to a great extent those opposing views have kept us balanced and strong. The juxtaposition of the two parties created national debate and compromise. Not any more!

Sure we can sit on our couches and blame the Congress for not getting anything done - for shutting the government down. We can say that they don't care about America and are pursuing their own political agendas. All that is true but we put them there - we chose each and every one of them. After all it is "We The People", isn't it? So based on this fact we should not expect these idiots to do anything different from what we are doing everyday in the "real world".

Take a look around. We are a divided house. Have against have nots; "minorities" against majorities; liberals against conservatives; religious against atheists; young against old; and so on. Just look at any social media site and read the discourse among Americans. It is ugly, vile, full of hate and so polarized. So is it any wonder we can't pass a budget? Or critical laws? Is it any wonder our economy is languishing and our unemployment is still high. Is it any wonder we see violence and hate crimes? Is it any wonder most of the world either hates us or is distancing themselves from us?

Wake up America. We are killing ourselves - not terrorists, not foreign investors, not Iran or North Korea. We are responsible. We can fix this but we better hurry because we have a whole generation that is starting to believe this what America is and should be. Actually some of the worst divisive behavior I have witnessed is among the young people. Adults we are failing our children. We say we want a better life for them and yet we are teaching them hatred and bias instead of open mindedness, compromise and putting the needs of the country ahead of our own.

I sadly have to blame our leadership because so much comes from the top. It actually starts with the President. He should lead by example. Yet his example is negative, hatred, lack of compromise, selfishness and cheap rhetoric. He has played a big role in dividing this country. I've seen this before in my life and results are not good. He came in cocky, fixated and aggressive. While these are not all bad qualities they are in a Democracy. We need Congress to work with the administration and do what is best for the country. Political and social agendas must take a back seat. Sure we need to have open and honest debate over all issues but we do not lead by bullying and blame.

I also blame the Republicans. Stop whining and being abstinent. You have to change to match the will of the people. Get your party in order and win because you have a convincing argument and a clear, positive, vision of how to get America to grow and prosper. Do not just sit in the House and act as a road block. You hate Obamacare then offer a salient alternative. Heck, most of America agree but even with that advantage you Republicans are unable to offer a concrete innovative solution.

And to all these radical liberals - what is your problem? Have you thought this whole thing through? It sure does not seem like you have. We have one economy, one GDP and one working taxable population. If we have more folks taking than giving the whole thing collapses. Do you get that? There is a tipping point and we are awfully close to it so take a breath and back off a bit. Sure I want to provide every social benefit we can but like any sensible household we have live within our means. We are $17 trillion in debt people! Sadly so many of you are hypocrits (not all of you but most). Driving around in Teslas' and Prius', with green grocery bags, preaching about equality for minorities, posting trash on Facebook and sheltering your children from reality. But when it comes to real sacrifice you are not there. Do you really embrace gays or transvestites? No you don't you just like to talk about it because it makes you feel impotent and part of the majority. Stop and take an honest look at youresleves. Decide what is logical, fically prudent and best for the country not what will et you the most "likes" on Facebook or Twitter.

When we get right down to it we are all very similar - more in common than not. We need to hit the reset button and focus on what is important. We need to recognize that neither side will ever get all it wants. That we have to work together to succeed. Neither one of us can make it without the other. It is like men and women. We are wired differently - some would say nearly opposite. But therein lies the genius. We need each other to survive, to propagate, to prosper. We each bring inherent strengths and weaknesses to the table. We have to harness the best of each, working in harmony to win.

So it is with all the opposing sides in our country. Republicans needs Democrats and visa-versa. The President needs Congress and they need him. Gays need straight folks, blacks need whites, Asians need Latinos, liberals need conservatives and believers need non believers. Think about it. It is this diversity that makes America great. It is the ability to accept one another, opposing positions and reach compromise. No culture has ever lasted very long where there is significant dominance by one group over another. This is why ultimately dictatorships fail. We need each other.

So I say stop whining about the government shut down and start looking in your house. What are we teaching our kids? How are we behaving (actions speak louder than words). Are we hypocrites? What really matters to us and this country? We are intrinsically a very bright people who are resilient and productive. Let's return to the basic principles that made us great, even if we do it with social media and electric cars. Change is acceptable because progress depends on it. We just need to set our goals and find ways to work together to achieve them.

Most of all let us try and stop the hatred. Just because someone does not agree with you or is a different race or political party does not mean that we should hate them. We have worked hard to remove the N word from America I think it is more important to remove the H word. Opposing opinions are actually educational, sometimes even amusing, so listen and digest. Compromise is a critical part of life - we cannot exist without it. Yet it appears many believe we can. Take an honest look around and tell me that America without compromise is working? It is NOT.

It's time to make a change America. We need tolerance, decorum, compromise, debate, selfless decisions and a return to our roots. We are a melting pot, the greatest consumer economy in the world, a generous nation, a free people and I like to think brightest culture on earth. So now lets get out there and act like it. Put Congress and the President on notice we are changing, we are stopping the bickering and whining, we are demanding sensible solutions and compromise. So either change with us our we will change you!

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