Posted by
Kevin L. Kitchens on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 9:35:41 AM
It appears that all of Congress, but mostly our beloved bi-annually reset House of Representatives, have forgotten the true nature of their job. Instead they have fallen victim to "tradition" of thinking they are our country's rulers. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The House is not made up of leaders but representatives. You are not charged with surveying the horizon and like a parent choosing the best course for us. Your sole mission is to represent OUR views to the House, not represent to us what the House is doing...to us.
Your constituents are all the people in your district, not just those of your party. Republican, democrat, independent, conservative, liberal, socialist, whatever. You took on the job of listening to all voices in your district and weighing those opinions and representing the majority view to the House as a whole.
And on that note, you represent ONLY your district. That's your primary goal and the sole source of your employment. Your district is the reason you are in that office. Your district is the reason you will leave that office. The goals of the party, state, or other districts all take a VERY distant backseat to the desires of the constituents you are paid to represent.
No matter how much face-time you get on CNN, Fox, and the networks, you're not a rockstar. You should be humbled under the crushing weight of the responsibility you've been charged with. And that charge is not any single issue. That charge is to (I repeat) represent the views of your district to the House.
The House of Representatives is called "The People's House" for a reason. Senators are to represent the total interests of the state -- which is why they were appointed originally. But Representives serve soley to weigh the views of their constituents and cast their votes accordingly. This is not to say that you are not allowed a conscience and vote how you feel is best. But if your conscience goes against the desires of your constituents, you should be prepared to face the consequences. In many cases, you can disobey your employer in ignorance and receive forgiveness. But when your employer has expressly forbidden you to do something and you do it anyway, don't expect a second chance.
It appears the majority (based on polls and town hall meetings) are against government intrusion into health insurance. Many want the real problems of the health care system fixed. Among these are tort reform, state boundary restrictions, and adjusting the tax system to reward doctors who provide care for the indigent. But you don't fix a problem for barely 5% of the country's population by destroying a system that works for 95%.
The current congressional attitude of "be quiet and take your medicine" just isn't going to cut it anymore.
As several analysts have pointed out, government intrusion into the health care industry will "fundamentally change the relationship citizens have with their government". Instead of the designed "hands off" approach, the government will now have inserted their influence in our everyday lives in an everpresent, overbearing and completely unwelcome way. If ObamaCare in any form passes we will have to be blessed with the permission of the government to take care of personal and private health decisions. This is not right. This is not necessary.
All 435 of you have been put on notice by the voices expressed by those you claim to represent. If you fail to do as your employer tells you to do, then you have chosen to face the consequences. If any "Health Care System Destruction Act" -- especially one with a "government option" -- comes to a vote, I encourage all media outlets to mark each representative with their vote everytime they are displayed on-screen. Brand each person who voted for so-called ObamaCare with a "Scarlet Letter" H next to the "D" or "R" we traditionally see.
Whether the bill ultimately is defeated, let your failure to represent follow you to the next election.