Coming to Terms With Helplessness?

When I was running for Congress in Kentucky's Fifth District in 2008, I made the mistake of attending a luncheon for the political and business movers and shakers in my local area. I say it was a "mistake" because I hadn't yet learned that anyone whose livelihood and prestige is tied to supporting the status-quo "business as usual" political machine regards a candidate like me, who's outside the establishment, who isn't bought and paid for, and who wants to work for the common good instead of corporate interests, is about as welcome as dog leavings in the punchbowl.

At this meeting, I heard a state representative complain how tired he was from the session just ended, where his major accomplishment was getting through a bill to give servicemen and women free nights at state parks. And this at a time when Kentucky faced (and is still facing) major budget shortfalls, with a crisis in education and public works funding, and widely spreading joblessness.

And just yesterday I read that, after a multi-million dollar campaign and an ensuring 7-month election dispute enabled Al Franken to finally be seated in the Senate, his first legislative initiative is a bill for grants to provide service dogs to wounded veterans. Apparently this is such a great idea and such a pressing matter that it's reported Ed Whitfield has followed suit in the House of Representatives.

Let's talk straight and try to bring some common sense into this picture. As aretired military officer with 20 years of active duty, I have nothing but respect for our wounded service people and our veterans. They have done their duty and have suffered and made sacrifices for our Nation, and they must have the best possible care.

That being said, however, the fact that "legislators" on the state and federal level spend time and energy on matters such as these while two foreign wars reel on out of control after 7 years of fighting, and we have no sensible energy policy, and hundreds of thousands of Americans lose jobs each month (in the midst of the deepest recession since 1929) is proof that the folks in our government have lost any sense of priorities.

Let's talk straight: The best way to support our troops is to end the politically mismanaged wars that are now playing into our enemies' hands by killing our service people, degrading our military's capabilities, and further bankrupting America. And bring those troops back home, to a Country with an economy looking toward the future, with plenty of available, good-paying, middle-class-supporting jobs.

Yet, while elephants are falling through the ceiling on our heads, our politicians are looking on the floor for ants to stomp.

Both Congress and the White House search for busy work and don't attend to the big problems which continue to tear America apart. This is to distract the voters from realizing that the big-money corporations are running the show, and the people and the Country be damned.

We have the best government money can buy, and it's doing exactly what it's been hired to do: ensuring that the status quo goes on and on and on, so that profits to the defense contractors, health insurers and big pharmaceuticals, and the oil companies roll in strong and steady.

Maybe we don't know about all this, and we don't understand it. Or maybe, we just don't care. If so, then God have mercy on us.

But I don't think lack of knowledge or indifference are our problems. I think that we stand by and watch Congress and the President get embroiled in "issues" that (frankly speaking) are two or three pages down on the priority list without outrage or even complaint, because we are rationalizing.

We are attempting to come to terms with the apparent loss of our ability to influence events in this Republic. We're coming to terms with our own helplessness.

Despite the fact that American voters decisively rejected the policies that have failed us in the elections of 2006 and 2006, put a Democrat in the White House and elected solid Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress, we cannot seem to get what America needs: an end to the wars, sensible plans for our energy and economic future, and effective, common sense action to restore and protect jobs for working Americans.

So we get busily involved in little causes that make us feel good, and we don't raise Hell when our elected officials do likewise. Little things in the big picture, little things that take our minds off the fact that America is in free fall domestically and internationally and we can't seem to get any change for the benefit of our people, no matter what.

Well, I don't think this way and if you do, you should stop.

The simple fact is that things do not have to be the way they are. Things have been set up the way they are by a few, for the benefit of the few, at the expense of the many. And things can be changed to protect the common good instead of serving the interests of a few.

I believe it is long past time to vote for the common good of America and elect progressives to Congress who aren't sold out to special interests. Let's elect folks who will vote for the tough choices that need to be made to benefit our Country, our People, and our Future.

When this happens we'll get real change, and until it happens, we won't.

That's what I believe, and that's why I'm running for Congress. And that's why I need your support, and why I'm asking for it.

www.holbertforcongress.com