The other day I heard someone say, “our system of government is broken,” and then they went on to point to corrupt politicians who continue to ignore what the people want in favor of special interests or bad ideology, which have been in Washington for decades.
They also pointed to big money from corporate America as a cause of elected officials being bought and paid for and not doing the people’s will.
This viewpoint, on its face, is compelling. It is also indicative of the societal shift (and not a good one) to blame everyone else but yourself for what misfortunes befall you. Our no-fault society has kicked out the underpinnings of our Republic in a way that is far more damaging than most would give credit and far more complicated to repair than the two sentence conversations of our social media mentality will allow.
Prepare to run to your safe space because you may be triggered by what you read next. The system is not broken! We are. The corrupt politician that gets elected time and time again doesn’t gain access to the office unless YOU vote for them.
We want to thank Greg Hough for this Op-Ed. Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
If you have had it with the people in office, then run for office yourself! I see and hear so many folks complain and then do nothing except blame. How about you get into the game. The only way to not elect trash is to pay attention and get involved or to run for office yourself!
“I don’t like the party,” some say. The party is the people who are in it. Look at the Democrats, for example. They aren’t Democrats anymore. They are Socialist/Communist. That’s who showed up at the meetings, so that’s who they are now.
To the money problem, it costs a lot to run for office. In NH, the pay is $100 a year at the General Court. When was the last time you gave a candidate a contribution? It costs anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 to run for the House of Representatives and $30,000 to $100,000 to run for the Senate here in New Hampshire. If you don’t pony up, someone will, and that someone won’t be interested in what you want.
What makes more sense paying the gas prices, food prices, housing prices, health care prices, and high property taxes year after year or giving a candidate that you know will fight for you and your interests a $25, $50, or a $100 contribution.
Get involved, learn about the people running, find the ones you like, and support their efforts. Hold signs, go to meetings, have fundraisers, write letters, donate your time or money, or both. It’s a much smaller price to pay than the one we are all paying now.
Those who say our system is broken want you to believe so they can change it such that you will never have a say in what happens to you. Stop belly aching and complaining and blaming anything and everyone else. Take a look in the mirror and get involved! Our country isn’t going to take back itself. We have to do it!
The system works fine. It is the greatest system ever devised. It cannot, however, run on autopilot, and you’ve seen what happens when you leave it to others. It needs YOU. Together, “Let’s keep the government off your back and out of your wallet.”
