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Health & Fitness

The Sound of the Gavel

If the incumbent is doing the job, great. Reward him or her with another term. If not, make a change.

Down comes the gavel, its hollow thud shuddering throughout the halls of Congress confirming that the majority has once again ruled. With each strike, those to whom the locals have loaned their power have determined that, at least in theory, the changes they have just made, changes that impact the lives of every American man, woman and child, were best. Whether that benefit was for the Party or the People was a question to be discussed as they then head to the Monocle, the Capital Grill or Old Ebbitts to do the real work of elected life: network. Their voting may be done, but for the cities, counties and States, the work is just beginning. Why? Because what they theorize on the Hill, citizens realize at home.

It is the Great Experiment in action. 

Great and lofty ideas are just that, ideas, attempts at solutions contrived by imperfect humans. Often too compartmentalized to consider the consequence of their combination, their theoretical implementation collides with reality locally and it is the citizens that must figure out how to cope. Unfortunately, as the number of theories forced on the citizens’ reality grow, and with it an ever expanding catalogue of consequences, coping becomes a very tall order.

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And still the gavel continues to fall, sounding out the birth, or death, of another idea the citizens must live with, for good or ill. With the sound of the gavel, at home roads are built, or not. Services are rendered, or not. Freedoms are impacted, disasters occur, crime disrupts, jobs are created, jobs are lost, taxes are paid, and regulation is created. Or not.

Of late there seems to be a growing disconnect between their theorizing on the Hill and our realizing here at home. With each strike of the gavel, the Halls of Congress shudder less…and we shudder more. Much has been postulated as to the cause. Allow me to cut to the chase: It has to end.

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Over 200 years ago the Founders took issue with a government that was disconnected to those it governed. In that case, this reality was exacerbated by technology (lack of it) and distance (lots of it). We all know how that turned out.

The technology today is plentiful, making distance irrelevant. And yet we are ever more rapidly morphing back to the kind of government disconnect that can’t create anything good. Much has been said as to the cause, the fingers pointing and the charges made. But at the end of the day, I believe we find ourselves heading down this path for one reason: Voter apathy, the curse of accountability.

If the Founders had been apathetic, we’d probably have a lot more interest in the upcoming Royal nuptials than we do today. But they were anything but apathetic. When they demanded representation, they meant it and sacrificed everything to get it. 

We need to get back to that today. Our Representatives have power for one reason: We loaned ours to them. Perhaps it is time to remind them of this fact. Perhaps it is time to make every district competitive, not merely between parties but between candidates. Perhaps it is time to wake up from our slumber, educate ourselves on the respective job performances of our Representatives and vote accordingly! If the incumbent is doing the job, great. Reward him or her with another term. If not, make a change. 

If we as voters continue to stir that pot, eschewing apathy for accountability, I am confident that we can turn the attention of our Representatives from their personal Party ambitions and back the people. 

Perhaps then the shuddering sound of the gavel would once again make the right kind of difference.

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