What Is Your Point?

In the movie After the Harvest, a young teacher who had become pregnant out of wedlock, was coveted by several young men.  When her fiancé died before their wedding day, a local farmer asked her to marry him.  He promised, at least by implication, that he would rear her child as his own.  Yet, when the boy was born, he gave him away.

Almost a whole generation later, they are feeding their resentment into the family life as well as his interactions with his neighbors.  His whole being is focused on acquiring land and showing the community who is going to bring in the best harvest.  He works his children and wife to the bone.  He insults neighbors and newcomers alike.  He obsesses on his goals and on being the "gentleman" farmer, but with no conscience and no compassion for anyone.  In the end, he loses all of them.  To make matters worse, his crops -- harvest -- catch fire.  Alone he stands watching it burn as the real important ones in his life, his family members, walk away.  What a sad and lonely man.

We have a political party in our country that is starting to look as sad and lonely as that farmer.  The members are so busy wanting to always win -- the election, the issue, the quarrel -- that they are ruining their own party.  They have so far pissed away 29 per cent of their following just since the last presidential election.  That's right, they fell just below half of the popular vote for President and the winner fell just above.  Now the Republicans of Congress hold about a twenty per cent approval rating.

So, Republicans, what is your point?  You have so far succeeded in alienating each other, your constituents, and just about every American voter.  And why?  Because you have chosen to feed your bitterness and resentment that the Democrats won the Presidential election, held onto the Senate and passed the Affordable Health Care Act into every issue.  You have chosen to be obstructionists.  You have dragged your feet.  You have quarreled among yourselves.  You have made mountains out of non issues.  You have yelled shame on you at every step your enemies and even your colleagues have attempted to make.  To do what?  Nothing constructive, that's for sure.

And now you are engaging in avoidance.  You have three months, much of which includes celebrations of holidays, to negotiate budget matters.  These matters are stuck in committee and not due to reach vote until mid December.  You have four months to deal with the debt ceiling again.  But what do you choose to do?  You pick one more way to embarrass and torment Democrats, as if masses of citizens have not told everyone for years to stop the negative politics.  All of this is evidence that you are engaging in avoidance of the real needed work.  To what avail?

It is time to quit avoiding . . . stalling . . . obstructing . . . politicizing . . .harassing . . . and demonstrating the dysfunctional nature of your party and your intent.

We need you to roll up your sleeves and do some real work.  Talk more about the budget negotiations.  Help member of the committees to formulate good compromises.  Make good, cooperative, bipartisan decisions.

The current obsessive-compulsive disorder which is being exhibited is not winning any favor or anymore future votes.

Please get the jobs done that we sent you there to do and quit the constant yammering.