Kids Speaking Up: An Open Letter to Congress

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0218_kids_speaking_up_an_open_letter_to_congress/

By Sophie D'Arcy, Kids Speaking Up

Republicans should learn that government is not the problem, it's the solution to the problem.

Dear Congressional Republicans (with the exception of Sens. Collins, Snowe and Specter),

On Feb. 12, President Obama exclaimed, “There are certain things that only a union can do.” I believe he was making reference to the fact that taxpayers, no matter how many tax cuts they receive, will not be able to build schools, secure a minimum wage, and repair the water and electricity systems. While I, along with many of my peers, understand this point, you either seem to not understand or not care at all. Both I think are detrimental to today’s already failing economy. In any other job, you might get fired for this, but as we all know, it is rather difficult to be fired from Congress.

But maybe I am not being entirely fair. Some of you do care — that is why you were elected. Some of you genuinely want to fix the economy and return America’s infrastructure to what it should be. My question then is, why didn’t any of you vote for the stimulus package, intended to stimulate the very economy you want fixed?

So, some of you say that it’s too much government in everyone’s business. OK then, let’s take it all the way. We not only don’t want the government directly creating jobs, but we now want roads to disappear, levies to collapse, and schools to crumble to the ground. If I am correct, you are currently employed by the taxpayers and voters of the United States of America, which means your salaries should be reduced to nothing, for that’s too much government in your life. The government is your main source of income; of course, we can’t have that. You know what else? Why even have the government defending us? If there weren’t gun laws regulating everything, we could get our own machine guns to defend ourselves. And best of all, let us get rid of justice. Not in every sense of the word, but just the federal courts. Who needs ‘em?

Now I’m confused. If the government’s involvement in stimulating the economy will only benefit the lives of Americans, through better schools, more secure jobs and a stronger infrastructure, then what’s the problem? Why a straight party-line vote? I’m trying to figure it out, to come up with some reasonable reason why you would vote against the stimulus package and postpone any meaningful action to get us out of this mess. I want to believe that you care, too, that it’s not just the Democrats who want to fix this. Yet, after listening to you on C-SPAN, all I’m left to think is that you don’t care, that you hide behind this lame defense of “The government is not the solution to the problem, the government is the problem.” And I know that isn’t true, because you’re in the government and you’re there to find the solution, right?

You can stand in front of the cameras and in the middle of the House chamber screaming “tax cuts,” but what does that create? When my mom gets her tax break in the mail, is she to be expected to build a school, secure minimum wage, and repair the water and electricity systems with that money?

I didn’t think so.

Sincerely,

Sophie Eve D’Arcy

Dos Pueblos High freshman Sophie D’Arcy is co-founder of Kids Speaking Up, a local group working to educate youth on social, national and political issues and inspire them to write.

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0218_kids_speaking_up_an_open_letter_to_congress/