The Great American Cop-out

Over the past week I have watched social media blow up over the government shutdown. Everyone is upset and rightfully so.  But what bothers me more than anything is the ignorance of the general public on how government is supposed to function.  

Successfully passing a high school civics class is required to receive a high school diploma.  Now I don't claim to remember everything I learned in high school, but I do remember my Social studies teacher engaging us in many discussions about our government.  

Some key facts about the way our nation was set up.

1.  There are three branches of government to ensure a checks and balances system.  This means that no one person can rule all and make our country a dictatorship.  Each branch is equal.

Here are the three branches of government:

            a) Legislative - The United States Congress - These are elected by the people to represent them in Washington.  The people elect those that best represent the issues that are most important to them.  They write legislation and vote on potential laws.  There are two divisions of the legislative branch.  The House of Representatives and the Senate.

            b) Executive - This is the President of the United States - Also an elected civil servant, among other tasks, he/she holds the power to sign bills into law, he/she also holds the power to veto or 'cancel' bills at his/her discretion.  A veto can be overridden if the house and senate both pass an override.

            c) Judicial - This is the United States Supreme Court - This branch is comprised of judges that were appointed to the bench by the President of the United States and vetted by congress. These officials are chosen by their ability to interpret the United States Constitution and render judgments fairly.  The court hears and decides cases of significant value to the nation. There is no higher judgment in the land.

2.  A bill must be passed by both the Legislative and Executive branches to become a law.  If the constitutionality is questioned in court, the law may make it up the judicial chain and be heard before the United States Supreme Court who will render a judgment on whether a law has merit and will stand.

3.  Our country was set up by our founding fathers as a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people".  This gives the power to the citizens of the United States to hire elected officials to run the country the way we see fit.  If we don't like how we are being represented in Congress, we can remove those non-performing representatives by electing someone else to better represent us.

4.  The majority rules. - This is why we have elections.  The candidate with the most votes wins the election. 

5.  The United States Congress is responsible for passing a budget to fund the country.  If there is no budget, the people that are employed by the government are out of work or work without pay.  This includes the United States Military, unless provisions are passed otherwise, as we've seen President Obama do.

Why does all this matter?  Our federal government has been shutdown by congress for the past week.  The republican-led congress has issued an ultimatum to the president to either de-fund or dismantle the Affordable Care Act, (which is also referred to as Obamacare by the way.  It is the same thing for those of you who don't know or appear on Jimmy Kimmel) or they will not pass a budget and close the government.  They have also threatened not to raise the debt ceiling.  This would cause United States to default on it’s debts, damaging our economy that is still recovering.

This means that children are without nutritional assistance and school.  Veterans are without the care they need and deserve.  Death benefits to families of soldiers killed in action have stopped.  American families are left without a paycheck to pay their rent or bills.  Cancer research, stopped.  And yes, Jan Brewer, national parks are closed.  All because of a political hissy-fit by the Republican party of cheap tricks, scare tactics, and bad theatrics.

The Affordable Care Act IS LAW.  It was passed by all three branches of government.  (see #1 above)

It is not up for discussion, compromise, or gutting by people who don't like it.  This isn't how our system is designed to work.  If a party does not agree with a law, they can campaign and win an election.  By reelecting President Barrack Obama to the office of President of the United States, the people of this land confirmed their approval of this legislation.

Now here's what I find hard to digest.  The people that scream loudest and longest about “the evil that is Obamacare” are usually the people that don't know diddly about the legislative framework of our constitution.  You don't have to be a lawyer.   You don't have to hold a degree.  You just have to educate yourself.  If you don't, you are at the mercy of the crazy, greedy, and unethical asshats that hold office.

I have no patience for people who claim,  "I'm not a political person", "I don't follow politics",  "They're all the same",  "It makes no difference anyway".  Ironically, these people are the first to bitch about things that don't go their way.

For the love of our nation, read the constitution.  Read a civics book.  Learn the truth about the clowns that YOU have elected to congress, so the next time you step into that voting booth you can make an educated decision.

As a citizen of the United States, it is not only your right, but also your responsibility.