POLITICS - Congressional Oversight Committee

[ole pizen slinger]

Good Evening Fellows:
I have been reading all of your posts and enjoying them immensly. There are a lot of good thinkers here. My college professors told me that two heads were better than one even if one was a dumb head. I also learned that 10% of the people 'think', 20% of the people 'think they think', and the other 70% would rather 'die than think'. I also learned that people are what I call 'pitchfork' people. Got a problem--throw it someone else's way; had an accident--pitch the blame on someone else; sun didn't shine today--it was God's fault. We are the generation that will not take responsibility for what happens! Nobody will stand up and say 'I did it and the responsibility is mine.'

I have read a lot of your post that were listed as "OT: Politics". I really enjoy them. I do not take a newspaper so I read your editorials--editorial page always was my favorite section. I even enjoy the disagreements--as long as they remain civil. I see many gripes and criticizisms about the country and where we are presently and where we are headed. However, I see no one taking responsibility for our current predicament. I see: blame it on the Democrats, the Republicans are at fault, its the Liberals, no its the Conservatives. Or blame the Mexicans, or the Blacks, or the Whites. Maybe it's Bush's fault. Gentlemen, may I submit that it's mine and your fault. Please notice that I included myself in this group. We are the ones who let this great country called America get in the situation it's in. "How are we to blame?", you ask. We went to war for the country, We paid our taxes faithfully, We voted in the elections--even local ones, We had kids and raised them to be 'good citizens'. There's that 'blame game again'--see, I can't even write without bringing it up, it's so ingrained in me. Really, I think it's in the genes--it was the first thing that happened when Adam and Eve sinned. Fellows, it's our fault because we, the People of the United States, are the Congressional Oversight Committee. The Bill of Rights speaks of us time and time again--the right of the people--those very words.

Yes, we exercise our rights when it is something 'dear to our hearts', like guns. Let someone threaten the 2nd Amendment and we are all at arms. We'll even email or phone or maybe write our Representatives about egregious attacks on the 2nd. Well fellows, life is more than just shooting guns. Where is the Congressional Oversight Committee the rest of the time? We're SILENT.

Let me illustrate:

1. I hear a lot about high gas prices. How many of 'the People' have written a Congressman, Senator or even the President about this subject. We ought to be flooding the Post Office with protests about Congressal inaction on an energy bill. And no, a law forcing people to use flourescent light bulbs is not classed as an energy bill. We, the People, ought to be demanding that drilling be started in ANWAR, off the coast of America, etc. We ought to be demanding more nuclear power plants. We ought to be demanding industry research into alternative fuels. We ought to be demanding new refineries be built.

2. When the Pentagon let bids for new tanker aircraft, who won the bid? Airbus! A French company! We, the People, let these jobs go outside the country instead of seeing that Boeing Aircraft Co. won the bid. And we wonder why America is short on jobs. By the way, I read sometime this past week that Boeing is laying off 7,500 jobs.

3. The immigration problem. Why is this not solved? Have we, the People, demanded that our own immigration laws be inforced?

4. Social Security. This one has been around for a long time. Why hasn't this concern been tackled and solved long ago? We, the People, have not demanded that it be fixed.

I could give example after example after example of this type. Why has this Congress got the lowest approval rating of any Congress in history? It's because, We, the People, have demanded nothing. And nothing is exactly what we've gotten.

Fellows, I can't for the life of me believe that the Liberals represent the majority of the population of this country. I believe that most people believe very much as you and I. Most are not way out on a limb Liberal or Conservative. Yet it seems we are very content to let the extremists have their way. Unless it hits us in the face we're content to sit back and let what will happen, happen, but--ban handguns, we cry, outlaw leverguns, we cry, label and register ammunition, we cry, assalt weapons ban, we cry. We'll do anything for the 2nd Amendment but let the rest of our responsibility fall to the wayside.

I'll give you an example of what can be accomplished. Remember when OSHA was going to rewrite the regulations on ammunition and small arms components? Remember the outcry that went out to OSHA, Congressional Representatives and Senators. Got something done rather quickly, didn't we--took about two weeks if I remember correctly. This reaction is what We, the People, should be doing on every Bill, every Amendment, every action that goes on in our Government. We, the People, should be giving our Representatives "hell" every time they sponsor a bad bill. We, the People, should be giving our Representatives "hell" every time they fail to present themselves for a vote. We, the People, should be giving our Representatives "hell" every time they vote for the Lobbiests. We, the People, should be giving our Representatives "hell" every time they do not represent us. We, the People, should be giving our Representatives "hell" when they vote themselves a pay raise. We, the People, should let our Representatives know that We know when they sponsor a bill, vote for a bill, waste money, or do not represent us. We, the People, should let them know that we are involved in the running of this Country--and that we will vote them out of office if they do not represent us. Fellows, we decieve ourselves when we talk of saving the Country by means of the 2nd Amendment--most of us won't fight anyway. Congress is not afraid of our guns, they try to outlaw them everyday, but they should sure as shooting should be afraid of our vote. Only when We, the People, get involved in every aspect of government will we get the government we deserve.

I know not what course others may take, but as for me, I'm going to try to be a better informed, more proactive, more involved citizen. "Give 'em Hell" should be the cry of We, the People, to our Elected Representatives. Then maybe we'll see America turned around.
Sincerely,
Ole Pizen Slinger

PS I estimate that only about 2% of the Citizens of the United States have ever contacted their Representative about anything.

[mescalero1]

Well written, thoughtful;insightful, thank you.

[Quick Karl]

Excellent post - I couldn't have said it better, as we all already know.

[Jaguarundi]

Thanks for posting a excellent post !

[Old Ironsights]

Excellent post... except anyone who knows me knows I'm never silent.

I'm a screaming bang-my-head-against the brick wall of Gooberment Jeffersonian/libertarian Minarchist who regularly calls "my" Pols on the carpet.

I just wish I could get paid for it since I spend at least 20hrs a week at it.

[C. Cash]

Good post Old Pizen Slinger. Yes indeedie to all said.

[Griff]

Yep, Congressonal Oversight Committee of One here. Only way a committe can get anything done is if someone leads. I usually, relunctantly, step up and fire off a letter on some issue or two or....

Maybe what we need to a congressional rule that requires the repeal of two laws for every new one they pass... might make 'em think a little harder. All Amendments are exempt. Once the budget is passed, send 'em home, annual salary prorated to # of days necessary to pass budget, max 35 days. Senators to only meet to approve Cabinet Minister and Judge appointments; again, salary pro-rated to # of days required, max 3 per appointment.

Get them out of DC, make 'em go home and get a job. Become contributing members of society instead of blood sucking pond scum.

Probably too simple to work, but in today's electronic age, there's no need for their big staff, DC Office and home; and certainly the taxpayers pick up enough of their tab.