It's that time of the summer when there's not really too much going on. We're waiting for a nice long weekend (although I'll be working for much of it), but beyond the long weekend, it's just a lot long hot days broken up by a few BBQs and a lot of beers.
But not if you talk to the politicians in Washington. Apparently, they've taken on the burning issues that we're all riled up about because...well because they're issues that need to be tackled.
What issues you say? Flag Burning. Illegal Immigration. Minimum Wage. Pulling tropps from Iraq.
Now, I'm not saying that none of these issues is important, but have you noticed that each of these issues has been quickly brought up, riled a varying number of people, then voted upon by Congress? And once the vote occurs, have you heard anything else about these issues? Unless it's about Iraq, I doubt any of us will ever hear of these issues again.
Until the next long hot summer.
Before an important election cycle.
Get where I'm going? I've known all along that these issues have been brought to the forefront not mainly because the American people are clamoring for closure on the issue, but mainly because our representative want to show they stand for (or against) something. [Ok, so people may be clamoring for some closure on immigration and troops in Iraq, but the timing of the presentation of these issues has as much to do with political needs and the desires of the public.]
And don't think it's just the GOP that's guilty of this non-sense. The Dems are just as shameless in bringing up these topics.
What I don't get though is why this even works any more? Doesn't it seem like the American public is too smart to be tricked by these ploys? It's quite obvious that these issues are only played for the theatrics. They'll be used later on to help market the politicians in their election campaigns.
"Now even more against Flag Burning!"
I didn't even know flag burning was an issue any more and here we are on June 28th and our Congress almost passed a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning! (It would then have to be ratified by the states before getting added to the Constitution, of course).
Minimum Wage? Why did it take so many years to bring this up? And only then, for a week of discussion and a quick vote?
The sad thing is that this will continue to occur, bang bang bang on random issues through the summer. The even sadder thing is that in the upcoming election cycle, politicians on both sides will do their darndest to remind us how they voted on these issues. They've gotta market themselves somehow!
The saddest thing?
The Amercian people are going to slurp it all up. After all, it's a hot summer and they could use some refreshment.
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