United in Anger
Why is Congress complacent?
Sometimes I feel all alone in this big empty space. I am angry and when I am angry I feel especially alone, as if I am screaming into the void and nothing echoes back. Why can’t anyone hear me? Why won’t anyone do anything? Why doesn’t anyone care? Why is everyone so complacent? And right now, I am screaming through the void at you, Congress.
I am going to assume that if you are reading this, whatever party you affiliate with, you are unhappy with what is happening to our democracy and to the institutions that serve us. That is not to say that you were happy with the status quo and you don’t want change or progress, just that you are even more unhappy with the now. This is the “us” I refer to below.
Republicans have failed to stand up for us. They have fallen in line behind the president despite the anger of their constituents and have been advised against holding town halls allowing the people to voice their concerns.
Democrats have been their normal ineffectual selves, claiming they have no power so there is nothing they can do. They have been out of sync and unorganized. They seem to think that waiting for the government to implode is a good strategy as long as they can lay the blame on Republicans.
Whether you like the Democrats or not, they had an opportunity yesterday to stand up to the dismantling of our government institutions and stand up for our democracy. They had just one card to play and only one opportunity to play it. When it was finally time to take action and play that card, they chose to fold, despite an overwhelming outcry from their constituents to stand up.
While a government shutdown is a terrible thing, if there ever was a time for a shutdown, it is now. What could be more important than the defense of our democracy and the programs that the people depend on?
For all the debate about the pros and cons of passing the CR or shutting down the government, all of that was a distraction from the real test: Would the Democrats stand up? Would they unite? Would they take action? Would they lead a resistance? Are they going to fight?
They failed that test in the worst way. They fell into the trap of thinking this vote was only about the lesser of two very bad options and failed to take into account what it was really about: were they going to be the leaders of the people’s resistance or were they going to cave to the current administration?
Democrats can go out and hold town halls with constituents of Republican congressmen who won’t do it themselves, but whatever message they are trying to communicate is rendered moot when we see in real-time the Democrats hide from responsibility just like the Republicans. For all their differences, they are alike in this cowardice and betrayal.
I am so angry. I understand the Republican congressmen are being torn in two directions - between serving their constituents and their chosen president. The Democrats are not - they have one allegiance - to their constituents - and so they have no excuse.
It is clear now that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Congress are going to stand up for us. I feel alone and adrift on an expansive pond of nothingness with nowhere to go and nothing to do and no one out looking for me. Our president has failed us. Congress has failed us. The justice system is trying its best, but if no one else is fighting for our laws and constitution, how long can they hold out? Why even should they?
I read in a social media comment that when thinking about what can be done to stop the damage, the justice system was a tool, but it was slow. Ultimately, it will be the people who decide what becomes of our democracy and our institutions. That is hopeful because it means we have power. But it is discouraging because we can be easily distracted into fighting with each other rather than working together.
So maybe it is good to be angry. Anger can be used to divide us. But when we share a common anger, our anger unites us. I don’t remember us ever being as united as in the aftermath of 9/11, when we all shared a common anger and a common grief. While we are no where near that united today, our numbers will continue to grow as reality sets in and the effects of current events become undeniable. We really could be what determines the fate of our democracy - united in our anger - finally getting through to Congress. But the question is, will it be too late?