Letter to the editor: Our real crisis

Yes, there is a crisis in America, but it is not on our southern border.

There is a financial crisis for the many good people who work for us in the federal government and who are being held hostage in this tragic episode of callous mismanagement. They continue answering the call of duty despite their employer’s (that is to say, our) failure in responsibility to them. Do we expect them to stay in their jobs indefinitely despite this sort of treatment? Would you go to work for an organization that uses forced layoffs as a political tool?

Beyond that, there is a crisis in American citizens’ loss of confidence in their government. The sense that government in Washington is broken, that our elected officials are unable to meet their responsibilities — this may well have terrible long lasting effects. This is just the sort of loss of trust in government that Russia tried to promote in the last election. People who do not have faith in the integrity and effectiveness of any system are apt to feel disconnected from it. American democracy works only to the extent that most citizens remain informed and concerned.

We do have responsibility for what goes on in Washington. We the people need to exert our influence on lawmakers and other elected officials. We can and should voice our opinions via phone calls, emails, letters, demonstrations. We can start today! Ultimately we must use our votes to support the kind of government we want.

Joe Douglas,

Lawrence

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