Back in November and December of 2014, there was a great kerfuffle over the comments made by White House Obamacare Advisor, Johnathon Gruber. He referred on more than one occasion to the "stupidity" of the American public. The reaction was somewhat comical given that he was simply caught stating what politicians have thought of voters for years. Of course, he was "sorry"; the kind of sorrow that one summons from deep emotional depths when one is caught red-handed doing something they did very deliberately. He is truly sorry--that he got caught.
Most people were outraged that he would label the American voter as stupid. That was only part of his foot-in-mouth problem. The larger issue is that he spoke, out loud, that mindset which drives nearly all politicians: The American voter is too stupid to know what's good for him. I have thought a lot about his comments and have wondered if there is some truth to them. However, in the end, I must disagree with him that the American people are stupid. Stupid implies the inablity to learn. I don't believe for one second that all of America is stupid. Ignorant, apathetic, uneducated, lazy, foolish, and irresponsible are perhaps much more accurate descriptors of the voting public. Do you think me harsh? Let me explain.
Thomas Paine once said, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.” Sadly, most Americans have achieved freedom so easily that we esteem it but lightly. Most Americans living today, have never had to sacrifice anything for their freedom. The most glaring exceptions would be those still here from the "Greatest Generation", immigrants who have come here legally fleeing oppression and those who have served our nation in the military. They, through very personal experience, have learned the priceless lesson: Freedom must be fought for. They know that the price of maintaining freedom is eternal vigilance.
Freedom esteemed so lightly is slowly eroded away each day in these United States and we do nothing. We are more outraged as a nation at the possibility of underinflated footballs in a playoff game than we are at a President who skirts the Constitution as if it were merely a plausible suggestion. We hardly bat an eye at the endless list of government regulations that exist, be they federal, state or local that prevent the use of our own property, prevent the use of publicly owned lands, mandate a purchase at risk of penalty (Obamacare), don't allow you to ride in your own vehicle without a seatbelt. (I'm not suggesting we don't use seatbelts. But isn't it my own dumb fault if I die in a car accident because I refuse to wear one?) The Founders of this nation would be utterly disgusted and appalled were they to come back today and see what we have done with what they GAVE us. The greatest government ever known to mankind, flawed as it may be, was won at the sacrifice of treasure, blood and lives. The rights to be free, to govern self and to choose representatives who work for us are nearly gone because we have given them away.
Dissatisfaction with Washington DC is at an all-time high, but this is exactly the government we deserve, you see. We do not value the sacrifices of those who went before and since we have made none ourselves we toss our responsibilities as voters aside as easily as out-dated fashion. We do not teach history in our schools. We do not study our founding documents. We do not understand the purpose of our represesntative government. We do not understand the most rudimentary workings of a free market system. We do not fight for the right of every man, woman and child to express themselves freely so that we may all guard our freedom of speech. We see corrupt judges overrule the expressed will of the people in the majority of the states and look away. Religious liberty is dying by slow suffocation and we shrug. They are robbing us blind and we drive the get-away car.
Like an irresponsible parent with a spoiled child, we allow the misbehavior to continue until it is nearly too late to be changed. We choose to ignore the glaring misdeeds of almost all of our elected representatives who say what they need to say to get elected and then do what they want to do to further their own careers, their own ambitions, line their own pockets and protect their personal power. And because we cannot be dragged away from our movies, celebrities, TV shows, gods of the sporting world, our cornucopia of electronic devices and every other distraction known to man, we simply cannot be bothered with "politics". The inmates are running the asylum; the fox is in the hen house; and we sit idly by. We send the Chuck Schumers and Harry Reids and John McCains and Orrin Hatches back to Washington election after election after election and are annoyed by the results. You do know the definition of insanity, right?
Until we can be bothered to send true public servants to represent us at every level of government, until we can be bothered to actually research what we are voting for and until we can be bothered to check up on our elected officials and hold them accountable for their actions, we are getting what we deserve. Because there is no public outcry there is no change. They move steadily forward stripping us of our rights, our treasure, our security and the precious gift of liberty. Perhaps we don't deserve it.
The power to change all of this is in our hands. It will require more than our typically abysmal national attention span. It will require our time, our interest and our sacrifice. It will require our national discomfort. Most importantly, it will require that we set aside our selfishness and remember what was once a great nation and what will be required to restore it for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. That price seems a small one to pay for the price of liberty. The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the righteous cause of freedom. Can we do any less?
Most people were outraged that he would label the American voter as stupid. That was only part of his foot-in-mouth problem. The larger issue is that he spoke, out loud, that mindset which drives nearly all politicians: The American voter is too stupid to know what's good for him. I have thought a lot about his comments and have wondered if there is some truth to them. However, in the end, I must disagree with him that the American people are stupid. Stupid implies the inablity to learn. I don't believe for one second that all of America is stupid. Ignorant, apathetic, uneducated, lazy, foolish, and irresponsible are perhaps much more accurate descriptors of the voting public. Do you think me harsh? Let me explain.
Thomas Paine once said, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.” Sadly, most Americans have achieved freedom so easily that we esteem it but lightly. Most Americans living today, have never had to sacrifice anything for their freedom. The most glaring exceptions would be those still here from the "Greatest Generation", immigrants who have come here legally fleeing oppression and those who have served our nation in the military. They, through very personal experience, have learned the priceless lesson: Freedom must be fought for. They know that the price of maintaining freedom is eternal vigilance.
Freedom esteemed so lightly is slowly eroded away each day in these United States and we do nothing. We are more outraged as a nation at the possibility of underinflated footballs in a playoff game than we are at a President who skirts the Constitution as if it were merely a plausible suggestion. We hardly bat an eye at the endless list of government regulations that exist, be they federal, state or local that prevent the use of our own property, prevent the use of publicly owned lands, mandate a purchase at risk of penalty (Obamacare), don't allow you to ride in your own vehicle without a seatbelt. (I'm not suggesting we don't use seatbelts. But isn't it my own dumb fault if I die in a car accident because I refuse to wear one?) The Founders of this nation would be utterly disgusted and appalled were they to come back today and see what we have done with what they GAVE us. The greatest government ever known to mankind, flawed as it may be, was won at the sacrifice of treasure, blood and lives. The rights to be free, to govern self and to choose representatives who work for us are nearly gone because we have given them away.
Dissatisfaction with Washington DC is at an all-time high, but this is exactly the government we deserve, you see. We do not value the sacrifices of those who went before and since we have made none ourselves we toss our responsibilities as voters aside as easily as out-dated fashion. We do not teach history in our schools. We do not study our founding documents. We do not understand the purpose of our represesntative government. We do not understand the most rudimentary workings of a free market system. We do not fight for the right of every man, woman and child to express themselves freely so that we may all guard our freedom of speech. We see corrupt judges overrule the expressed will of the people in the majority of the states and look away. Religious liberty is dying by slow suffocation and we shrug. They are robbing us blind and we drive the get-away car.
Like an irresponsible parent with a spoiled child, we allow the misbehavior to continue until it is nearly too late to be changed. We choose to ignore the glaring misdeeds of almost all of our elected representatives who say what they need to say to get elected and then do what they want to do to further their own careers, their own ambitions, line their own pockets and protect their personal power. And because we cannot be dragged away from our movies, celebrities, TV shows, gods of the sporting world, our cornucopia of electronic devices and every other distraction known to man, we simply cannot be bothered with "politics". The inmates are running the asylum; the fox is in the hen house; and we sit idly by. We send the Chuck Schumers and Harry Reids and John McCains and Orrin Hatches back to Washington election after election after election and are annoyed by the results. You do know the definition of insanity, right?
Until we can be bothered to send true public servants to represent us at every level of government, until we can be bothered to actually research what we are voting for and until we can be bothered to check up on our elected officials and hold them accountable for their actions, we are getting what we deserve. Because there is no public outcry there is no change. They move steadily forward stripping us of our rights, our treasure, our security and the precious gift of liberty. Perhaps we don't deserve it.
The power to change all of this is in our hands. It will require more than our typically abysmal national attention span. It will require our time, our interest and our sacrifice. It will require our national discomfort. Most importantly, it will require that we set aside our selfishness and remember what was once a great nation and what will be required to restore it for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. That price seems a small one to pay for the price of liberty. The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the righteous cause of freedom. Can we do any less?
I agree. That's the problem, the freedoms we enjoy are eroded so slowly that sometimes we don't realize what's happening until it's gone. And, like you said, too many politicians will say whatever it takes to get them voted in and then do whatever they want when the election is through. I will admit that it is a lot easier (but not better) to remain silent. I've tried writing letters to voice complaints or get things changed, but I'm one voice and it's way too easy to silence the one voice. Just ignore it and it might go away. Or pawn the complaint off on someone else to put a band-aid on it and make it look like something is being done when nothing has actually changed. It's frustrating.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm guessing you meant that dissatisfaction with Washington DC is at an all-time high. (Or satisfaction is at an all-time low.)
For the record, the schools in my little corner of the world teach civics and American History and the kids have to pass a constitution test in order to graduate. It's something, at least.
Thanks for your comments Missy. I am equally frustrated. I feel like Don Quixote. But I can't quite give up...today. :)
ReplyDeleteI did mess up on that dissatisfaction comment. I will fix it. Thanks!!
Glad there is some teaching in your neck of the words. Sadly, I think most of it depends on the parents anymore. Good to hear from you. Take care!