Fewer and fewer of us approve of the performance of our politicians. According to polls, in the US, the approval ratings for Congress is not much more than 30 percent. I know of so many people who question the very motives and integrity of all polticians. "They're all crooks," one person has commented. Isn't there a saying, "Politicians are crooks"?
Is corruption unavoidable when one fills a position of power? Yes, there is a saying that "power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely." Our God and Creator fills the position of absolute power and authority but He is not only infinitely holy and sovereign but He is also forever loving and merciful. Many of His people who fill positions of power and authority have modeled His image to humanity, like Mother Teresa, the Rev. Billy Graham, the lesser-known, local Rev. Larry Rice, among many otherswho have led by example and have identified with those whom they serve. Yet it seems that far more often, positions of any kind of power and authority have become closely tied to corruption, greed and even criminal behavior. But this is especially true of politics. It seems that, on a regular basis, the greed, questionable ethics, corruption or crimes of the powerful continue to surface through all media outlets. We observe how they change their positions on issues and fear taking unpopular stands. It can be easy to conclude, "They are all paid off by Big Business."
We may even hear sound bytes of certain politicians getting testy with constituents or with each other; far more frequently, we feel that they simply don't listen to us.
It doesn't help when they debate on high-stakes issues like a national budget and engage in partisan bickering about how to cut the budget; we see how they consider making cuts to services and programs vital to out well-being, like education, law enforcement and funding for hospitals, among others. It does nothing for our confidence in them when they consider making cuts to programs that the most vulnerable use to survive, as is happening in the US and, I understand, in the UK. Seniors, those with disabilities and the poor are petrified about losing their benefits. Unemployment in the US remains high and people continue to lose their homes; if we have escaped unemployment and foreclosure, then many of us are concerned about being next. In the face of all this, it should not be any problem for our politicians to insist that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share in the form of higher taxes (I have nothing against great weath but only against the wealthy being exempt from paying their fair share in an ailing economy). But many of them rail against the very idea!
So much of the behavior of those in power stems from the fact that they are, in essence, bought and sold. Their poltical campaigns are largely funded by special interest groups and super-rich individuals who are able to fund their campaigns. These wealthy are able to "wine and dine" our politicians for lobbying purposes. So many of us get disgusted with it all and just stay home on election day; in thee US, we are even less motivated to vote in mid-term elections, the primaries, and local elections. I plead guilty to this.
But we must not let our discouragement with the political process and our frustration and even disgust with those in power, cause us to give up! Too much is at stake. Whether we are aware of it or not, politicians wield power over our lives, all the way from conception (abortion vs. right-to-life) all the way to death (death taxes, wills and estates). Their decisions and their policies impact all of our lives, in our schools, our workplaces, our neighborhoods and even our homes. Deep down, we all know this and this is why we so often blame them when things go wrong in our societies and in our lives. Yet, realistically, since our politicians, like us, are human beings with differing worldviews and philosophies which guide their politics, do we tend to expect too much from them? What should we expect when our votes are based on candidates' looks, their charisma (or lack of it), and on often misleading, defamatory political ads and the rants of those who specialize in ramming their own political views down our throats?
Yes, I know that it's easier and takes much less effort to go by appearances and by ads rather than to take the time and effort to do the needed checks on candidates and to research politicians voting records and evidence for their character and integrity. Therefore, our votes should be based on candidates' positions on issues we value, their character and integrity and above all, their willingness to stand for what they believe in and to advocate for us. And I'm the first to admit that it takes hard woork and is time-consuming to research our politicians and who they really are. For years, it took me the longest time to work out my own views on issues and to not blindly follow the views of others, or let my family, my church or others dictate what I should believe and how I should vote. For the longest time, I felt alienated from many in my life because my views tended to clash with theirs. Even today, when I share nonpartisan posts about causes or pages online for the purposes of finding common ground in politics, I tend to receive nasty or hateful comments vilifying my perceived partisanship. It's unfortunate how, so often, we can't discuss politics without losing perspective or letting our emotions get tied up in it all. When we clash on political isues and on the politicians we support, we behave as though the other person is our enemy. I have heard things like: "Democrats have no morals," "Republicans don't care about the poor," "Democrats are weak on defense," "Republicans oppose anything that helps people," "Democrats aren't religious," "Republicans are the party of big business and the wealthy." And I can go on and on. I know I have echoed some of these feelings about the major US political parties; I know I often think these things. But these stereotypes won't help us make informed decisions about electing good candidates; only unbiased research and prayer about our voting will.
Yes, I know that in the US, we are a system of two major political parties, with a number of "minor" parties. At their root, Republicans and Democrats hold opposing philosophies about what the role of government should be in our daily lives. As a Christian, I'm offended at how those of my faith are stereotyped as "the religious right" and are expected to vote Republican; I have even heard Christans say, "God is a Republican"! I'm saddened at how Democrats are seen as less moral, less patriotic, less religious, and less family-centered, than Republicans. And I'm most frustrated when we pit "conservative" moral issues like abortion, euthanasia, and religious freedom abuses, with "liberal" issues like poverty, all forms of injustice, and human rights abuses. As I read my Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, I can see that all these issues are important to our God and He cares about all of them. Republicans, Jesus spent much of His earthy, public ministry reaching out to the poor, the sick, the dying and the down-and-out; His words about Judgement Day make it chear that we will be judged according to how we have treated the vulnerable and the needy. Democrats, God has clear standards for our behavior, which is why He sent His perfect Son to live, die and rise again to atone for the wrongs of imperfect, sinful humanity.
Remember, the powerful are us; we vote for them and they come from among us. With some soul-searching and effort, we need to work toward finding common ground and finding unity in diversity.
Common Cause--Holding Power Accountable; this is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for citizens in many different ways.
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQ
The Center for Public Integrity--This is a nonpartisan association of investigative journalists who hold those in power accountable.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/20 years/
Project Vote Smart--This is a nonpartisan, unbiased, informative resource website, which empowers citizens in making informed choices about political candidates.
http://www.projectvotesmart.org/
.
No comments:
Post a Comment