Where are we going?
By: John Paul Stoshak
“These are the times that try men’s souls.” Thomas Paine
As election day draws nears, one truly does get the feeling that
“these are the times that try men’s souls.” Our nation is involved in a
controversial and costly war. The deficit rises daily at an astronomical rate.
The No Child Left Behind Act is rendered moot because President Bush has not
budgeted money to fund the mandates set forth by this act. Medicare/Medicaid
rates go up, it seems to be, annually. The Republican controlled House and
Senate seem to act blatantly on behalf and for the benefit of big business
and/or corporate America. No bid contracts went out so fast from our Federal
Government after Hurricane Katrina you couldn’t keep track of them. Most notably
to Haliburton. A company to which VP Dick Cheney has strong ties. Pharmaceutical
companies began to raise the price of there prescription meds out of the price
range of our elderly and the Medicare/Medicaid relief bill is so complicated as
well as convoluted that our elderly could not make heads or tails of it. Oil
companies are recording record breaking profits year after year since G.W. Bush
became our President with gas prices reaching record highs themselves. Congress
votes itself raises and perks heretofore unparalleled but will not raise the
minimum wage to a minimum living wage. The list of tragedies goes on. It seems as though the President, in conjunction with his
Republican controlled House and Senate are seeking to eliminate the American
middle class and subject it to a corporate dictatorship. That is why this
election for control of the House and the Senate is so important. It is time for
a change.
The November issue of Esquire magazine looks at all
of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate races throughout the country as well as the
governor races that are going on. Esquire gives a brief critique
of each candidate it endorses which I found to be quite interesting. Especially
the endorsements of the candidates for Louisiana.
In District 1, Esquire endorses Piyush(Bobby)
Jindal saying that, “…he’s burned a few bridges by fighting for Louisiana to get
a fair share of the royalties from its offshore oil. Plus, his IQ could boil
water.”
District 2 has the magazine listing William Jefferson as one of
“The Worst Members of Congress” and the magazine endorses Joe Lavigne.
District 3. “Melancon, in his first term, has also displayed
global vision in brokering a deal to have Louisiana oil experts help develop
Kazakhstan’s offshore oil fields” and Esquire has endorsed Charlie
Melancon.
District 4, the magazine endorses Jim McCrery.
In District 5 the picture painted of Congressman Rodney Alexander
is so bad and his competition so futile, the magazine calls for a write in
candidate. Any write in candidate.
District 6 sees Esquire magazine extolling the
virtues and character of Congressman Richard Baker which is on the mark for
Baker is a statesman.
District 7 has Esquire magazine lay out a statement
that Charles Boustany, MD “has done little to offend his party in his two years
in Congress - even on the matter of weak federal response to Hurricane Rita,
which ravished his district. His opponent, Mike Stagg, won’t be such a
lapdog.”
Regardless of how one votes, it is
imperative that one does vote. And before casting that vote, it is
important to think about the long term effects of each individual vote
for the candidates of your choice. As Lincoln once put it and I take
liberties with it, “A government of the people, by the people and
for the people must not perish from this earth.” If we, the
people, do not institute changes come this Election Day, look for more
of your individual rights to disappear along with more of your
disposable income and look for corporate America to ride roughshod over
the working class America even more than it is now.
John Paul Stoshak is a free lance writer and teacher living in
Lafayette.
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