Sunday, December 19, 2010

What do you do when there is nothing you can do?

As someone that spends an inordinate amount of time watching, observing, and studying American politics, there are always an abundance of things, for me to both agree and disagree with. But last week when 41 of 42 Republicans voted against the funding for a bill that would provide healthcare benefits to 9-11 First Responders it brought forth anger in me that was so profound, just the thought of the subject caused me to nearly succumb to an anxiety attack.

I have read all the reasons, pro and con, given to justify everyone's votes. I have watched the news channels and the people that I normally watch, express their outrage. Since I tend to associate my news channel watching to MSNBC that is not really a surprise. Then, even The Fox News Channel, the unashamed mouthpiece of the Republican Party, the faux news operation that carries the water for the Republicans, offered criticism of the vote.

Sheppard Smith, Fox main anchor, called it a national disgrace and got at least some agreement from colleague, Chris Wallace. Of course, Fox being Fox, they failed to mention that the 41 Senators that killed the bill by voting no were Republicans. But at least they did bring it up.

So with this blinding anger I feel toward this I find myself coming back to the headline question, “What do you do when there is nothing you can do?”

I've contacted my Senator, who by the way won re-election last month and has nothing to worry about for the next six years. I have posted on my Social Network sites, shared videos, and written here on my own website.

So now what? It is an angry hopeless feeling.

I don't personally know any 9-11 First Responders but I have been to Ground Zero. Even today you get a sense of the enormity of the job that was done and the work preformed there on that day and in the aftermath. The first responders are suffering today, many are dead or dying, and they need our help.

I noticed that one of the Senators voting no stated that he didn't want to vote yea on bills that were not funded or pay for themselves. Oddly two days later he was not concerned about how we are going to pay for the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts.

I have not tried to change people’s minds if they disagree with me; I just post videos and commentaries and let everyone make up their own minds. I try to get the facts out there so that people don't miss news like this. It doesn't seem enough and yet I don't know what else I can do.

When your hands are tied by the inability to effect change or right what you perceive to be a wrong, what can you do? I can't seem to let it go. I don't want to let it go. What can one person do? That is not a rhetorical question. I am looking to you, as someone reading this, to offer any suggestions you might have. I am at a loss.

I heard Senator Kyle of Arizona say it would be disrespectful for the Senate to work on the most holy day on the Christian Calendar and that the Senate just didn't have time to deal with it.

Wonder how Senator Kyle would feel if someone he knew, or his own property needed a First Responder on Christmas and they all said that it would be disrespectful to take the fire trucks out on Christmas.

I don't wish that on him or anyone else but these acts of pure political partisanship at the expense of real life people make me wish that they could get a taste of reality.

I hope they never have to find out and I hope that sooner than later this Congress decides to discover their conscience.

In the meantime I will try and figure out what to do when there is nothing I can do.

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