Past The Crossroads

By: The David

Two young men share a sincere, romantic and loving kiss on a popular television series, and the following day there are cries of “foul” from those who feel that their Religious or Political bent should rule us all. Their rhetoric cries out that their “children should not be exposed to such immorality.” Because of what is really a chaste kiss, maybe accompanied by a promise for tomorrow, but still a chaste kiss, these people feel the program is “too adult” and should not be shown at the time it is being aired, or maybe should not be shown at all. There is no recognition of the fact that the program is not rated for young children, nor is their recognition of the fact that in their world of “family values,” the parent should control the remote and therefore the programming in their home. Every remote has an “off” button. The failure of these somewhat fanatical persons to control the events in their own home does not give them the right to control the options for viewing that the rest of us might have.

This smacks of the same heavy handed censoring that is taking place in the United States House of Representatives as the Republican, Tea Bagger, Conservatives wage an ideological war on National Public Radio because they do not like what they perceive to be its Liberal content. In order to stifle that content this majority has simply voted to cut off their funding. No matter to this Congressional branch that NPR is the only available news outlet for many in the rural sections of this country. Their vote is a transparent and obvious attempt at censorship through a misuse of power. No matter that a Democracy should allow for disagreement without in the public sector without fear of financial reprisal from a Party that hold power in a branch of the government.

How many of those who abhor two young men sharing a kiss or cheer on narrow-minded, mean spirited elected officials are also fascinated to the point of being spell-bound by a has-been, used up situation-comedy actor with a self-destruct button as big as his body? How many have followed every word written about this drug addled, dissipated very unfortunate man as he extols his cocaine saturated life with his porn star goddess? People may click their tongues over his life, but they go back to the trough and feed deeply so as not to miss a detail of his firing, law suits, public fights with former wives and shameful wrangling over his children. How much of this is eagerly brought into the homes of those who want to increase political or social censorship?

Seeing what occupies the minds and time of our legislators and much of the population, one would think there is nothing else going on in this world. One would think that there had not been an earthquake followed by a tsunami followed by a devastating radiation threat, the combination of which has killed thousands of people and injured many thousands of others. One would not think that this was happening in the country of our closest Asian ally.

Seeing what occupies the minds and time of our legislators and much of the population, one would think the world was at peace. One could believe that there are no continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One could be blind to the abomination being inflicted upon the people of Libya by the long-time strong man dictator who has occupied their halls of power and now, rather than lose that power, is murdering his own people. One could easily think that none of this is happening.

Let this Congressional Branch, this noble House of Representatives continue to try to legislate the moral prerogatives and the political choices of their constituents instead of using their legislative power to better the lives of all people in this country, and history will see Mr. Boehner and his minions as the empty-headed personages they truly are. They are preoccupied and courting a verdict akin to the judgment made against the Roman Emperor Nero who is accused of fiddling while Rome burned. While this Congress has busied itself with cutting off funding to NPR and to Planned Parenthood, and while the concern of the House Leadership is directed toward defending the odious Defense of Marriage Act against a suit that would overturn it, and in placing barriers to the implementation of a heath care plan that would benefit untold numbers of the citizenry, the Nation continues to reel from Unemployment, mortgage foreclosures, usurious interest rates on consumer loans and total erosion of the Middle Class. This Congress is doing more than anyone to further the damage done by former President G. W. Bush in polarizing the Citizens of this country, and in creating a “we – them” mentality between the Very rich and the Poor. The middle ground, the buffer between the two, is rapidly disappearing because of the total governmental neglect of the important issues affecting it. One cannot effectively govern when the “loyal opposition” has, as its driving force, a dedication geared toward seeing one fail. The United States has, in all probability, reached this crossroad and made the wrong choice.

So, let the Congress continue to waste the People’s time. Let them spend their days arguing about Planned Parenthood, and NPR, let them continue to fight the losing battle against the rights of an oppressed minority within this country itself as they are doing with their attempt to preserve DOMA, let them continue to try to legislate morality while they ignore the truly important issues that they were elected to address: unemployment, health care, fiscal abuse by lending institutions, the rate of inflation that when applied only to the goods needed for an individual’s daily life is now soaring. Let them advocate for ALL people and not just for the obscenely wealthy, or, sooner or later there will be a day of reckoning in store. The people: There will come a time when the diversions whipped up by those who would dictate their concept of morality will be seen for what they are, people will realize that there are more important things to become indignant about than whether there might be a same sex kiss on the airwaves, there are more important things to applaud than loss of funding to a radio outlet because there is fear that they might, at times, support another political philosophy, and there are more important things to occupy our minds than the misadventures of a coke-head with what seems to be a burned-out brain. When the people can cease to be distracted; can focus on their country and what this Congress is doing to it; can focus on the effects of all the traumas in the world, their implications to them, and how great the need for remedy; can free themselves of spin doctors, and manipulators, and THINK FOR THEMSELVES, then they can turn their attention to their role in that day of reckoning that is so sorely needed.