It seems that it is about time that the U.S. government underwent some major changes, and I am not the only one who thinks so. Polls across the country show that a huge majority of people are unhappy with at least some piece of the government. The American public is done being complacent, and no longer will accept the status quo. In a CBS/New York Times poll taken just this past week, 60 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction of the country — less than 35 percent are happy.
If a majority of people are unhappy, logic only tells us that we are in for a change. For years now, politicians have become more like celebrities than civil servants, more interested in fame than their constituents. And people are noticing. Our representatives need to get off Twitter and stop acting like frat boys rather than government officials.
Incumbents across the board are staring down the barrel of a loaded gun, the gun of being unseated by a seemingly unknown rival who just happens to connect with actual people. Shocker, I never would have guessed that the people would vote for someone who actually wants to speak their voice in our government. When asked ‘Have the representatives in Congress preformed well enough to deserve re-election?’ only 12 percent said yes. That leaves a huge portion of the population that is not satisfied with its representation. Only 25 percent said that they were even mildly satisfied with Washington today.
In primaries across the nation, we can see that things are looking different. Big party members are losing the primaries to small town folk, few are voting for the well-endorsed candidates and more voters are turning up to the polls. This just leaves us wondering what will happen in November.
The interesting thing is that none of these statistics were significantly altered by looking at only one party. People across the board are unhappy. Many are just as unhappy with their own party as with the opposing party. For years now the Republican Party has been infested with RINOs, an acronym for “Republican In Name Only.” Elected by conservatives, these members of the Party tend to become wishy-washy moderates who will fall — and vote — for anything. Democrats on the other hand have been following Obama right off a cliff with the notion that they will be loved just for being Democrats. Neither party is listening to the bulk of their members: the people.
Citizens across the nation are getting more involved. People are no longer just accepting the recommendations of their Party leaders, but rather pushing their respective parties back into reality. Ours is a government for the people and by the people — and the people are coming out fighting.
The question remains, however, who will Americas choose to represent them come November? The polls for candidates are shockingly even across the board, and no one seems to have a solid advantage. The Republican Party is being forced back to its principles, while the Democrat Party is being shaken out of denial.
No party or idea seems to have an advantage, and this is something new for America. People are thinking hard about what issues matter to them, and most importantly why those ideas are not being voiced in Washington. So think long and hard before you decide for whom to vote this November. Don’t afraid to vote for something a little out of the box. You will not be alone.
Hopefully this November will mark a turning point for the U.S. If we can turn back to our roots, the principles this country was founded upon and the remarkable dreams of our founders, we may be able to get back on our feet. So let’s stop being apathetic college kids, let’s use this education we are receiving and show Washington that we want real change.
Not the change that Obama promised and failed to deliver. Not the socialist kind of change that will destroy what we hold most dear as Americans. Not the kind of change that is only for the politicians. We, the people, need our government to answer to us.
Let’s make it happen.
Rogers is a member of the class of 2012.
