I’m sorry Congress, but this partial shutdown of government you’ve managed to pull off on the American people is not acceptable. We have elected you to be leaders. You certainly campaigned on your ability to lead, and you won the right to serve your constituents. You are in office solely to represent us, WE THE PEOPLE. And I’m speaking to all of you: Democrats and Republicans alike.
And the way I see it, it begins with YOU, Mr. President. It doesn’t END with you…it BEGINS with you. Where’s all that rhetoric now about reaching across the aisle and working together? You’ve had all this time now, and you’ve let us all down… not just those who aren’t in your corner, but millions of those who’ve been in your corner all along. And to that last group, you rally them by continuing to point fingers and lay blame. You are aware, are you not, that reaching across the aisle means extension from BOTH DIRECTIONS? Or are you just a slow learner?
So, here we all are, wondering what’s next. This morning, government employees actually took the time to drive their government vehicles and post CLOSED signs at the entry to the parking lot in Tennessee Valley, within a stones throw from where I live. From that dirt parking lot, multiple trail heads lead the way through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and stretch for miles, connecting Muir Woods and beach communities within coastal Marin County. These trails are accessible from a multitude of places all over the county, not just the parking lot in Tennessee Valley. They’re accessible from right up above my home.
The road leading up to that dirt lot was lined today with vehicles on both sides. Hikers and bikers parked their cars there because you blocked access to the dirt lot. Seriously? You’re going to demand that we aren’t allowed to park our vehicles in that dirt lot and hike our own trails? How about suggesting your laid-off government employees hike those trails, to clear their heads a bit.
Surely as a community organizer, you can understand that you’ve done your community no favors? By refusing to compromise on literally every objective in your playbook, you’ve simply widened the gap that was already fracturing your community, also known as these United States of America.
Don’t tell us we aren’t allowed to enjoy the abundance of Golden Gate National Park that is easily accessible from our own neighborhoods and this beautiful city of San Francisco. Oh, and those national monuments in D.C.? Those too belong to WE THE PEOPLE. I salute those politicians from Mississippi who found a way to get the gates unlocked to allow these WWII vets to see the memorial that pays tribute to them and thousands of other brave souls who put their lives on the front lines. These vets are part of your community too, Mr President…you remember them, don’t you? They’re the ones who’ve stepped up to make sure this great nation remains free, no matter which political office holds the President of the United States.
Life and Other Turbulence 