Yesterday evening on the way home from Florida I met President Obama's press secretary Robert Gibbs. We had a very brief conversation and he seemed like a decent man. I was glad I got that opportunity and it led me to reflect on the plane ride home about politics in this country.
First while Mr. Gibbs is not an elected official, access to him as well as members of congress, and state and local politicians is what makes this country great. To be able to voice concerns or support free of the fear of retribution is an invaluable liberty yearned for by many citizens of countries that are less fortunate.
I then thought about the current political climate and how it relates to us. When we as a country put those issues which have no impact on our everyday lives on a political pedestal, we haved doomed ourselves to pay for not keeping our eye on the prize. What is the prize? In my mind it's the American dream, a good paying job, a decent education and a nice home for my family. All of those require work but can be achieved when roadblocks to access are torn down. Things like good student loan programs, the GI bill, and banking regulations that protect us all are good for the country. In other words politics affects the pocketbook. I wonder why more Americans aren't demanding that the crazy fringe return to their caves and let serious people fix the problems facing this great land. For me I look forward to that day because of the prosperity it will bring to us all.
I urge each of you to reach out to your elected officials. Share your thoughts and ideas on how to improve the economy. I'm not happy with the obstructionism the country currently faces, but because this is a great country, I will be writing my Congresswoman and urging her to make compromises to move us forward. She will undoubtedly disagree with me and put party politics over the welfare of the country. But I don't have to worry about being drug out my house and shot or hanged. That unfettered access to our leaders is what makes this country great.
I hope you all have a great weekend. Look for the Mechanics Dispatch and Week in Review emails over the weekend.
