Your life in the hands of others

by Nicolle Morales Kern

Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to have two major parties (one with no brains and the other with no balls) pulling the purse strings of our world, only to please those who line their pockets?

It almost seemed as if our government wasn’t going to be able to come together and decide on a bill that would avoid a default on our debt. The way politicians put off seriously discussing this major issue reminded me of group work in college. Some were willing to put in the work and base their choices on facts and research, while others sat back, relaxed and based their choices on what they thought was right based on sheer opinion and what others were whispering in their ear.

But alas, a last-minute deal was reached and they avoided turning our world completely upside down by the skin of their teeth.

But what do we really walk away with? The feeling that those of us outside of the top 1% really don’t matter and that we must adhere to any choices our elected officials choose to make.

The strutting and posturing of both sides is proof that they are completely out of touch with what this country truly needs and are only interested in being “right,” standing in the way of the opposition and winning above everything else. As Bill Maher put it, it was nothing more than a pissing contest. And next up, it’s guaranteed that we’ll be seeing more of the “blame game” that politicians love to partake in.

That’s just the way it is, right? We have to accept this established status quo and the excuses they continue to feed us on a daily basis. I mean let’s be honest, electing new politicians really doesn’t change much. Just more promises made upfront that are never (or rarely) fulfilled later.

What we can do is not let their actions (or lack thereof) get in the way of how we live our lives and interact as a community. It has come to that point where we must accept that we cannot rely on our government for everything (I mean so many would do anything to avoid socialism anyway, right?) and realize that we are great sources of knowledge and ability. Worried about your children’s education? Get together with others and provide supplemental courses or form SAT-prep groups. Can’t stand large corporations? Then start buying food from local farmers’ markets instead of stores that supply factory food, that way you know what you’re eating. Start frequenting local businesses or see if you can organize an exchange of services with friends.

The change we want to see really needs to start with us and the expectations we set for our chosen leaders.

Copy Editor, Nicolle Morales Kern

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those
of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.

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