Thursday, August 30, 2012

memo to politicians of all parties

Dear politicians,

Since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you of your job.

Your job is not to ensure that someone of the other party serves only one term.

Your job is not to spend money making yourselves look good or your opponent look bad.

Your job is not to cater to the K-Street lobbyist.

Your job is not to do whatever it takes to make a lucrative career out of your public office.

Your job is not to spend the GDP of several countries trying to get re-elected.

Your job IS:
to serve the American people.
to serve the best interest of the country as a whole.
to serve the greater good of the community who elected you.
to serve as a beacon of hope and help in a system that leaves people behind.
to serve with, not against, your colleagues in various offices so that we get the best possible solution (not no solution) to whatever issue is at hand.
to find ways, creative and conventional, to ensure that no one does end up left behind in a country we are fond of calling "great" and that we claim so much pride in.

I can see how you would get confused about the meaning of the word "serve" and the purpose of your position in our government, and I can see how difficult it can be to remember that not one moment of your job is about you. Even clergy have difficulty remembering sometimes, and you get paid a whole lot more than we do, so it's harder to remember.

I don't care who sits in what office as long as everyone in every office is willing to work for the greater good. Unfortunately, that so rarely seems to be the case.

But seriously: your job is not about you or your party, it is about America. So stop working so hard for yourself and start working for us. Stop your self-centered vision of doing nothing other than blocking the other guy, and start working for us. That's why you're there--period.

Sincerely,
the voters.

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