Get It Together Congress

The government can no longer be so busy trying to please everyone that it pleases no one. We’ve become a land of hypocrites with a Congress and courts wasting time on the same arguments. Our current legislature makes me feel like the criminals are running the prison or the insane are running the mental institution. Laws get passed and then judges determine whether or not they’re legal. For example a judge blocked the law that would defund Indiana’s Planned Parenthood. I think legal issues should be resolved before laws are passed. Funny, I thought most politicians were lawyers and they should be able to have these arguments when discussing a bill.

There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution (the last being Congress’ vote for their own pay raise). Pretty much since the 21^st amendment in 1933, modification of our Constitution has come via resolutions, acts, bills, executive orders and probably more. This includes the 1989 action to allow an automatic pay raise unless Congress votes to reject it. So, Congress’ automatic pay raise is tacked on to other bills. Efforts to make the raise a separate bill have been defeated but individually members are free to refuse a pay increase and some do. Bills should stick to the subject. Health care bills should not contain language relating to selling a house, sales tax or any other item. Defense bills should not include state or federal parks or money for studies. In my opinion, bills needing to be passed should not carry pork barrel items; such an action allows bad laws to be implemented with good ideas. A Bill should be clear so that the average person can understand its intent and speak to a single subject to be clear of its effect. They also should not be used to increase a company’s wealth with no regard for the average person’s income. In other words we shouldn’t do away with free TV in order to force people into purchasing cable or satellite TV. This type of thinking allows people to purchase a non-necessary item over paying their necessary bills.

I’m tired of the arguing over the right to bear arms. Arms are used for law enforcement, the military, self-defense (includes killing bears, rattlesnakes, and other things that do us harm), hunting for food and skeet shooting. All of which should remain legal. I do disagree with killing for sport whether it’s for animals or humans. I don’t know why any civilian should have AK 47s or any machine gun type weapon. My belief is that no one should be allowed a gun that could be used for other than legal purposes. We don’t know when someone will go off the deep end and I believe everyone should be punished for their evil doings. A bill can be written that would allow Americans to bear arms in conjunction with the 2^nd amendment but with caveats - prohibit weapons with more than 6 shots and where guns are carried as no one should have a gun at a grocery store, school, religious domicile, sporting event, public transportation station, and other locations that are deemed a safe zone.

John Huntsman says we have to quit pointing fingers and assigning blame, there’s enough blame on both sides, we have to face the fact that we’ve hit the wall and we’re bankrupt but that doesn’t mean we can’t get back on our feet. We have a tradition in this country of staring down adversity, meeting it and overcoming challenges and leaving the world a better place. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, not counting this recession, there have been 47 recessions in the US since 1790.  

The Democrats need to stop giving things away (I believe they started today’s benefit system that created generations of able body workers on assistance) and the Republicans need to stop favoring the rich (1%). The middle class cannot continue to handle the burden of both the lower and upper classes. I also believe that laws should not bend to accommodate a religion or the small percentage of the population that does not believe in a higher being. This does not mean that laws should be written to exile or incriminate minority groups. As an example, silent prayer in school should be done with the intention that the time is needed for further education and not to accommodate an Atheist. The same goes for the Pledge of Alliance. When I was young and had to say the Pledge of Alliance I didn’t think anything about it. I do realize that saying it gave me pride and a sense of belonging and there’s nothing wrong with these feelings.

Children in American schools should show some gratitude for the freedoms they’ve been given. Any child not wanting to participate makes me want to watch their parents to see if they are home grown terrorists or others that do not support our Constitution or freedoms.