The Sky is Falling, the Sky is Falling! The Gub’mit shut down

Yawn, ho hum, the Gubmit shut down. Does anyone even care? Many of us see our Government not as an essential service but as a ball and chain that disrupts our lives and complicates our endeavors.

Our cynical leaders (hired help) are doing all they can to make the shutdown as painful as possible. Even as I write, Government employees are being furloughed, services are being cut and those being cut are the ones that will affect and annoy as many taxpayers as possible. EVEN UNPAID VOLUNTEERS ARE BEING TOLD THEY CAN NOT WORK.

All national park services will close. Campers have 48 hours to leave their sites. Many parks, such as Yellowstone, will close to traffic. Smithsonian museums in Washington will close and so will the zoo. Shockingly, the panda cams that show the panda cub born in August will be turned off in the first day of the shutdown. Keep in mind it doesn’t cost one dime to leave the panda cam on. In fact someone (possibly essential personnel) must deliberately turn it off.

The Statue of Liberty in New York, the loop road at Acadia National Park in Maine, Skyline Drive in Virginia, and Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, home of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, will be off limits. At Grand Canyon National Park, people will be turned back from entrance gates and overlooks will be cordoned off (again a spiteful decision that requires effort to enact) along a state road inside the park that will remain open.

BUT our congress that got us into this mess will continue to get paid and continue to live on our dime. Their non-essential aides are being sent home. In fairness this is necessary. Some of our Congressman are so broke they would change a vote simply to get their checks. There are at least a dozen congressmen with a negative net worth.

Non-essential employees are being sent home. This brings up an interesting question. Why are we employing and paying non-essential employees. If they aren’t necessary we shouldn’t have them complicating our lives and living on our taxes.

So, who is responsible for this impasse? Is it the Republicans or the Democrats? Both sides claim the other won’t compromise.

The fact is either or both sides may have a valid reason to not compromise. IF they (either side) are certain they are correct and are doing what is best for our country and the American people, they should defend their position. Simply blaming the other (which seems to be what they do best) is unproductive and dishonest.

Remember there are multiple definitions for compromise. Compromise means “a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands.”

But compromise also means “an endangering, especially of reputation; exposure to danger, suspicion, etc.; a compromise of one’s integrity” and “to expose or make vulnerable to danger, suspicion, scandal, etc.; jeopardize: a military oversight that compromised the nation’s defenses.”

Furthermore it is not a compromise when one side gives in, that is called a surrender.

In some cases compromise is not possible. Suppose you are on a date. Your date is interested in a recreational activity that doesn’t interest you and is directly in opposition with your character and moral standards. If you compromise you will find yourself in a compromising situation and will find yourself compromised.

Meanwhile, regardless of how this Government shutdown plays out, the American people are getting screwed.

When this is over there needs to be an investigation and everyone who has deliberately made this more difficult and has ignored the best interests of our country needs to be fired.

Let’s start with the people who authorized cutting off the panda cam and roped off the overlooks.