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Sometimes I worry that our country will become more like the former Soviet Union. Americans will wait in lines for hours in order to receive bread for the week. I wonder what it would be like to run out of toilet paper and not be able to run to the store to stock up on what I grew up believing were necessities. Mostly, I am angered that I am living paycheck to paycheck...tethered to a house not worth the mortgage I own, unable to advance my earning potential because there is no free money for a middle aged white person who gives one third of her income back to the government to be spent on programs with which I don't agree and from which I receive no benefit. However, I must pick my battles when addressing an issue with which I'm concerned because I know the majority of folks in the blue state in which I reside and work dismiss my speculation as the ranting of a lunatic or someone who can't get with the program; embrace "change".

Today, I read how our government has set aside a multi-million dollar technology fund for Islamic countries. Our education system would thrive if that kind of money could be used to provide free online courses to adults wanting to earn a terminal degree or specialize in a shortage area. Instead, tuition goes up, taxes go to fund free money for those who qualify for the Pell grants which will supplement the cost of a college education, and more and more graduates (and many who won't graduate) will leave their post-secondary experience with an accumulated debt that will make it even more impossible to chase the elusive American dream. Many will not find jobs that require their advanced education. 

The "bright shiny thing" continues to distract Americans from what is truly important. FOX News is using the administrations' comments about their station to boost their ratings instead of reporting on the news stories that make them such an important voice that the administration needs to discredit them or more importantly, distract FOX News from their mission. 

Should universal health care pass? Ought certain aspects of the proposed legislation be given more consideration than others? This is a complicated issue that is being broken down into misleading sound bytes. Policy wonks need to be provided a forum to explain the nuances of the proposed legislation in a way that would allow legislators to make informed decisions. 

Do citizens and representatives truly understand how this branch of the government actually functions? If a neutral observer could ask any representative what he or she sees as most important in regards to this critical issue, what is written inside the bill or how his or her vote will affect his or her chances of reelection, the answer would probably provide an interesting lesson in civics. The first question that needs to be answered is what is driving the vote? Do constituents and their representatives understand each others' roles in the legislative process? Do we truly understand each others' positions or why we hold them? Does ideology or constitutional illiteracy affect our understanding of what is involved? How can we make sure that a majority or a minority with a loud voice in their zealousness to do what they believe to be best for our country doesn't compromise our individual rights under the Constitution or in the long run work against what is best for our society? I would sleep better at night if I truly believed that these questions were driving the debate. 

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