by Mike Woodall
I’m not going to blame Ms. Bzymek for her lack of support in her September 26 argument for – well – I’m not too sure.
I’m not going to blame the BG News for the lack of supervision they have over their editors.
But, I guarantee that I will not be blaming the founders of our Constitution for the problems stemming from the natural disasters occurring in Gulf States such as Texas and Louisiana.
I would like to congratulate Ms. Bzymek for learning something in Political Science 101, but during my three-plus years of being a Political Science major I have learned many things about the political system.
Politicians are interested in re-election, yes, but they are also interested in policy making and institutional prestige. How, you ask, do they pass policy, gain prestige, or get re-elected?
They work for the common good of their constituents; otherwise they would not be successful. Why do they want this prestige or policy passed?
They do it to further help the people in the constituency. By moving for this prestige and policy making, they bring good to their constituency, and if successful become re-elected.
Ms. Bzymek argues that things are not working because of term limits. I must then ask you why 93 percent of incumbents running for re-election are re-elected. Obviously they are doing something right to be re-elected, and seem to have plenty of time to make change.
A slow process for change allows for only the most important and most agreed upon legislation to be brought up and passed into law or policy, but how dare you say that two to four years are not enough time to cause a significant amount of change?
In that amount of time Presidents Kennedy and Johnson were able to pass the Civil Rights Act.
In that amount of time the Nazi’s were able to murder six million Jewish people. In that amount of time America was able to crush the Nazi forces in the Eastern world.
In only one day, a group of radicals were able to change our whole way of government with four planes in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
In that length of time, President Bush was able to pass policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act, and the Patriot Act (both of which most liberals hate – Maybe that is what the founders were trying to protect against.)
On the other hand, without term limits what reason would there be for politicians to work for the people?
It would be much easier for them to work for their own gain, or for the gain of another – such as the Executive, their own family, or for a corporation that brings them financial gain.
With these term limits, the minority have the ability to express themselves and demand change.
Sure, we can blame President Bush, Karl Rove, FEMA, the senators of the ravaged states, the governors and even the military, but shouldn’t we also blame the people?
Why weren’t they more ready for this type of event?
Why didn’t they question the ability of the levees, the buildings, and the shelters?
Why didn’t they question a plan?
If people such as Mr. McQuid or Mr. Schleifstein predicted this, why didn’t the people question their officials?
Why did they blindly follow their officials for years and years through change of representation or lack thereof?
They must accept some of the responsibility.
Ms. Bzymek, your cynicism is taken harshly.
First, you blatantly lie, saying you are not going to blame the President for the actions in the hurricane states, and then end your column with “-we can deduce that the general population doesn’t believe the president is doing enough to solve this problem.”
Secondly, and even more importantly, you poorly attempt to blame the founders of this country for the problems occurring in the Gulf Region.
If you are not a fan of this country, it’s founding, or the good it has brought its people for over two hundred years, I’ve got a perfect place for you
Ever heard of Cuba? It doesn’t have term limits for its officials, or democracy, or for that matter a free press.
Sounds like a perfect place for you and your feelings of America.
Mike Woodall can be reached at [email protected]
