Somekinda Disconnect

I can vaguely remember the words "...that a government by the people, of the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth". In my memory, I can still connect with the feeling I got from President Lincoln's powerful words. He uttered them at a time when our country was torn in half over the issue of slavery- so much so that we bared arms, one side against the other.

Since then our country has been more civil in the settling of its disagreements. We now have a Two-Party system we use to ascertain what it is most important to the majority of Americans, and our battles are waged in our two legislative bodies, the House and the Senate. Ideally, the officers of these two groups of government set out to effect the needs and wants of those they each represent by creating policy in the form of law. Great concept.

If you're like me, you are probably asking yourself what happened.

We all share a common existence that is becoming worse by the moment, and I keep looking toward that government by the people, of the people, and for the people, and wonder why most people are suffering to the degree we are.

We have become a society that demands accountability for every little thing - the minute something happens we freak out, demanding that someone be held accountable, that someone be punished. I ask you: who is accountable for our country being in financial ruin? Who should be punished?

We are responsible. We are being held accountable regardless of the part we did or did not play, and yes, we are all being punished.

We have failed in our quest to be a democracy, in that we have become, as Bill Maher might say "too stupid to be governed".

It is indeed incredibly historical that we have finally elected a non- wasp, specifically a Black American to the highest office in out country.

What is equally incredible is that we finally spoke loud enough that the

true will of the people was heard. I mean, after hearing everyone complain about George W. Bush only to see him re-elected to a second term, and after seeing the country say it did not support the war we have be locked into for what seems like forever, we finally acted- if only for a moment, as if we were a country that has a government by the people. Yes, amazing.

Enter the financial crises. Despite the fact that there are those of us that just don't care about politics, I am certain that everybody is aware of what the country is experiencing at the moment. Money has a way of making Americans pay attention, and care like they never did before. That's a good thing. Now I'm wondering- why are we allowing

The person that we entrusted with the power to be prevented from doing what we believed and entrusted him to do.

Here goes the problem with the by the people, of the people and for the people idea again. There are people- elected people- that are turning a deaf ear to a vast majority of the needs of a great many Americans. And since this is a government of the people, I'd like to know who elected those that stand in the way of relief for all Americans.

The people- this is our government, right? At least it is the government chosen by the most people, right?

Well, most people are suffering. The majority of the people, including a lot of Republicans are hurting. The people voted for change, the republican house and senate are voting against it. They are playing politics and being obstructionists- when they are obstructing, they are obstructing the will of the people that put them into power to do just the opposite. So much for Lincoln. So much for government. So much for its people.