Prancing with the czars

[democrank]

I`m beginning to think Congress should forego their next scheduled bronze statue and instead lay out some cash for a Department of the Middle and Lower Class, housed in a solar-heated hut in Washington, D.C., near one of the regular limo routes. It`s a small request, given the gargantuan number of Congressional helpmates charged with assisting General Electric and Lockheed Martin. I`m thinking some Washington leaders could put forth a good-faith effort for comfort to the growing number of suffering, exhausted, bottom-of-the-ladder Americans.

In the last few days, I`ve seen a few clips of some giant airplane with TRUMP emblazoned across the side, but not one, single shot of a Detroit neighborhood where horizontal mattress coils are used for park benches and where children stand and stare at a hole where swings used to be. It`s starting to get thick out here so that most anyone I know could cover their eyes, spin a few degrees and end up looking at someone having a hard time: property auction sign, broken truck, collapsed barn roof, near-empty oil tank.

What kind of country gets angry because someone gets health care? Or help with college tuition? Or a bed in a homeless shelter? Or a Head Start breakfast? Just when did empathy go out of style? Some of those right-wingers that want Christ put back in Christmas might also think about putting some empathy back in our standards and some consideration back in our dialogue. How about we leave Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan to their handlers and concentrate on the unemployed shrimpers in the Gulf states or the laid-off firefighters in New Jersey? How about we become advocates for our teachers and the children they educate? How about we do something about some of the incarcerated, non-violent drug addicts or the near-broken foster care system?

If we allow this obscene sham in Washington to continue, then we deserve what we get. As it stands now, we jump up and cheer at the slightest sign of fake improvement so our side can "win." We can`t kid ourselves any longer. Ask the family of the soldier on his fifth tour. Ask the parents of the dead six-year-old killed in the drive-by shooting. Ask the unemployed mill worker in Groveton, New Hampshire. We can continue on this downward spiral or we can support real change. It`s time for us to be issues oriented and principle driven and give up on the shallow personality contests. The force behind the issues we truly care about has to defeat the feckless politicians and their corporate handlers. We can`t waste any more time inventing new slogans or painting new backdrops. Tell them- no change, no check, no vote.