Santa Maria Sun / Commentary

Think of the country, not the party

BY ROBERT P. SUTTON

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The U.S. Constitution, which is the blueprint for our form of government, is very good. The primary problem with the way our government functions is our elected officials, the so-called “politicians.” Instead of taking care of our nation’s business for the people they represent, they’re all too often focused on the business and status of their particular party, and the business of the people who elected them is secondary.

We, as taxpayers and voters, need to take a more active interest in the performance of our elected officials. The individual sources available to do this are many. The Internet and its outlets or a simple letter to your representative is in order. Remember history’s Marie Antoinette, who’s quoted as saying “Let them eat cake” to appease the masses? Politicians, to a large degree, are of that same mindset. They flood their districts with often unnecessary “pork barrel” projects to instill the illusion “you’re important to me,” when just the opposite is true.

Their rhetoric is designed to project a favorable and professional image of themselves, which actually doesn’t exist. Just consider the current state of affairs in Washington. We’re in a minor recession; we need health care reform and other measures to stimulate our economy. But one party of politicians just refuses to be a part of the solutions. They’re more interested in maintaining the moronic behavior of their party. Hypocrisy is their symbol.

One solution: Eliminate the parties in place and replace them with the American Party. Our individual ideologies will fall somewhere within the framework of the American Party, and this will allow us to vote for any candidate whose ideology or position complements ours.

Another solution: Enact strict term limits. When the elected official’s time has expired, he or she would be restricted from the federal arena for a period of five years or more. There are too many of these politicians who have been in the Congress or Senate for too long a period of time. Their presence there is simply functional. They offer no viable solutions to anything. They simply go along to get along.

Let’s put our party affiliations on hold for a while and consider what’s best for our country and its people. Don’t be swayed by the various TV or radio talk show hosts; their views are all too often slanted by their ideology, and honesty and fairness are absent in their rhetoric. The opinions of the “town criers” and the “village voices” are laced with criticism of what isn’t being done, as opposed to some optimism as to what can be done.

     As voters, we’re all affiliated with one party or another, and our loyalties are all too often too rigid. Our primary loyalty is to God our savior; our loyalty to our country is second. The next time we vote, let’s think outside the box and think what’s best for our country and its people—and not what’s best for the party. m

Robert P. Sutton is a Vandenberg Village resident. Send comments to the executive editor at rmiller@santamariasun.com.