A Moral Dilemna

The inestimable Brad Klopfenstein hosted the final hour of "Abdul in the Morning" on WXNT 1430 AM, a truly great show. Although I didn't get to listen to the whole hour, I did get to hear "Klop" state his query to the people of central Indiana. How do those of us who live here and consider ourselves even remotely fiscally conservative feel about the rampant spending and Democrat-like behavior of the Republican majorities that dot the landscape? Between the almost billion dollar stadium in Indianapolis starting construction, a project the city will see no real return on, a half billion dollar sewer renovation being paid for by doubling sewer bills, new restaurant sales taxes that feed the state coffers coupled with additional restaurant taxes that feed local and county coffers, backdoor meetings, closed agendas and generally unresponsive representatives, what are we to think, and more importantly, what do we plan to do?

As if that wasn't enough, we have out of control spending at the federal level while the Legislative and Executive branches are firmly in the hands of the so-called party of limited government. We have the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House mired in financial scandals (although admittedly mostly those appear to be partisan attacks designed to soften up the Republicans for 2006), we've got representatives like poor old Mike Pence getting royal butt-chewing for having the temerity to even suggest that we balance spending with cuts. What are we to think? What are we to do? These are all good questions, and I'm afraid we have no good answers.

This question cannot be answered in any hour radio show or daily blog post. It's one that will take a long time to sort out. First, there's the matter of voter awareness. Most voters aren't aware of the issues, nor do they consider that they have the time or need to be aware of most of the issues. Everyone grumbles about the latest headline saying there's going to be a tax increase or a new law restricting something that used to be ok. But how many people care? You could argue that there's been a concentrated effort by forces on both sides of the political fence to reduce voter awareness to better allow their fringe views to be pushed by radical and motivated elements who wish to face reduced opposition. You could argue that most people just don't care anymore to put in the time and effort it takes to stay on top of the issues and respond to them through their representatives.

A Republic is a hard thing to manage, almost as much as a participatory democracy (which we never really were), and we have to depend upon the efforts of those we elect who we believe share our views on key issues. This, many believe, is enough. You could also argue that "democracy" in this country has run its course, and that such governments are inevitably doomed to apathy and failure. Athens failed. Rome failed. Why should the Great Experiment be any different?

These are all good questions, but do we really want to draw this back to the roots of our government? Maybe we have to. Maybe that's the first place to start. Do we rededicate ourselves to the principles of our Founders? I think that's a good start. That's an excellent start. If we examine what they believed, we will find that such ideas transcend time and are as relevant today as they were 200 years ago. We should fight and intellectually smash those who would attempt to discredit those men's ideas by trying to attack those men. Those who have tried to wipe the slate clean of our history and rewrite it as they see fit are the greatest enemies of our future. They must be met with a learned and determined counterattack and thwarted. That, along with an appreciation of the thoughts of Washington, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and even Calhoun will give us the basic ammunition to turn the tide against what seems a tsunami-sized wall of bureaucracy and political machine.

Then what? If we educate ourselves on history, then what? We have to make the time and make a concerted effort, not just for ourselves but for our fellow citizens, to learn and understand what is going on in our government, and start holding them to account. This might mean taking them to task more often. This will mean more work on our part. This will mean pestering and hounding the living hell out of them until they realize we aren't just going to take it anymore. And who of us will do this? Will it be the "liberal/progressive/sensible/word-of-the-month leftists, or the dyed-in-the-wool conservatives? If we want the politicians to be more accountable, to limit government, to pay attention to and respect the beliefs of those who put them in office, we have to work at it. Nothing worth doing is easy, and this is worth doing.
Mine is an old clarion call. It's an oft-repeated statement, but it's still the truth. We need to do the work. It's We the People, folks. Government of the people, by the people and for the people, remember? It's in the blog name. Pay attention! :)

Let us not let the Great Experiment perish from this Earth. Let us get involved. Make the sacrifice. Participate in your government. It's your government as much as mine, and perhaps with enough of us poking and prodding maybe those reps and councilmen and mayors and governors and even the President might turn their head and acknowledge it's not just about them anymore.