Open Letter ~ To Politicians

Dear Elected Official ~

To each and every one of you, the highest officials in our land to the local politician, all of you winners and all of you that lost your bid for election, I address this letter to you. What you are doing to all of us, the American people, SUCKS! Take a little time and try to step back to a place where you can look at the America you have brought us to today. The America as envisioned and created by our founding father's no longer exists. No longer are we the country that was admired by the world. No longer are we the country that created and nourished the "American Dream". No longer are we the country of opportunity for all. No longer are we a country. America today is an "Empire", and you are trying to expand that empire with every breath you take, with every stroke of your pen and with every law you pass.

You are creating this empire, not through military conquest, though you employ the military in your efforts without hesitation. Not like Genghis Khan or the Romans who simply saw something they wanted and marched in and conquered it. You have employed a more modern approach. You write laws, you created a tax system that allows the rich to get richer at the expense of the average citizen, and you use political subterfuge to disguise your real intent. Before you write me off as simply another disgruntled Old Hippie, listen to what I have to say, and try to stand far enough back so you can see the picture of America that I see. So allow me to try and paint the picture that I see, America as it is today.

What I see makes me sick. I see a middle class in America that is in decline. The segment of middle class Americans is declining, and that is the truth. I see an America where those living in poverty is increasing, and that is the truth. I see an America divided by racism and hypocrisy, and you can not dispute this with a straight face. I see an America where the tax burden increases daily, and that burden is placed squarely upon the backs of the middle class. I see an America where the product of those taxes is spent abroad. I see an America steeped in religious turmoil. I see an America beset by intolerance. I see an America on the brink of collapse, either through financial ruin or revolution. And, I hope with all of my heart that it is a revolution, not financial. But I am NOT talking about a revolution like the Civil War, not a revolution of civilian armies rising in a bloody conflict against government forces. The revolution I hope for needs to come from the ballot box.

When I was growing up in America, Dad was the bread winner, and Mom took care of home and family. Today, most Americans can not live unless both parents have jobs, and far too many have to have two jobs. Millions of today's youth are left to fend for themselves. You with your laws and tax codes have done this. You have effectively destroyed the family unit in this country. Is it any wonder to you that without parental guidance, the youth today stray into trouble? How many Americans have the luxury of eating meals together? How many of today's youth have the luxury of parental help with their homework? But you do not hesitate to give tax breaks and government loans to corporate America! You reward mega-corporations with economic stimulus and incentives. And these corporations close plants in America and move them overseas, moving all of the jobs they provided to Americans with them. You reward those who eliminate jobs in America, and then tax those who have lost their jobs to someone in India or China? Please explain why it is better to employ people in foreign countries by taking jobs away from American citizens. You should not only be voted out of office, you should be held criminally responsible.

There was a point in our history where the American worker had pride. Pride in their ability, pride in their work and pride in their achievement. Today, they just feel lucky that they have a job, and they feel trepidation because they know that at any moment, that job could be gone. There was a time when the American education system was the envy of the world. Today, our public school system is pitiful at best. Teachers are severely underpaid, text books are outdated and school facilities are overcrowded and substandard. Tell me that this is untrue! But the schools in the wealthy districts are the ones that you point to with mock pride when you talk with the media during your bid for reelection, while you do everything you can to hide the schools in the poor districts. And there are many of you who never attended public schools. And more of you who send your children to private schools. So, if you are doing such a good job of improving education in our country, why don't you use public schools for the education of your children? And where are the new schools that you are building with our tax dollars?

You are building schools in Afghanistan and Iraq? Please explain why building schools, employing teachers and administrators, providing text books and computers to them is good for the American taxpayer. Please explain why the educational needs of people in foreign countries, at the expense of educational needs here at home, is in the interest of the American taxpayer. Please explain why the needs of foreign citizens supersedes the needs of the people who elected you. Could it be something as simple as the fact that you lied to your voters, and that your priorities are aligned 100% with the wealthy and corporate giants that fund you? Actually, that is exactly what I see. You see your success linked to the success of the upper 1%, and they are the masters you serve. And your success is of foremost importance to you. A few years ago there was a lady in France who said, when there was public dissent over the skyrocketing price of bread, "Let them eat cake.". That lady was Marie Antoinette, and she lost her head as a result her blatant disregard for her people. I'm not advocating the loss of your head, only your job!

Do you see what I see? Are you still reading this? Or have you pulled a "Marie Antoinette", and turned your back on me like you have on the American public. But don't think that I am singling you out, don't think that you are the only problems that face Americans. There will be more letters to come, letters to the financial leaders, the corporate leaders, the religious leaders and to the public who stand by and allow these things to happen under their very noses. But I have begun with you, because you are the ones that have bastardized the constitution and the bill of rights. You are the ones who have made the racial and financial divides in America with your lies and sharp pencils. I beg of you to try and understand what I see, take it to heart, and evaluate your choice of partnerships. With all of my heart I hope that you choose to partner with the American people.

With A Saddened Heart,

The Old Hippie