Legislatively Speaking
By Senator Lena C. Taylor
GOP Response to COVID, Federal Agents, Trump is Inexplicable
Lena C. Taylor
“When all the lights are on inside a house, we expect that house to be occupied. It is unusual for a house to be fully-lit when its occupants are out. This expression uses such an occurrence to describe a person who seems fully functional and animated but who is ‘vacant,’ or, in other words, unintelligent or unaware.” -Taken from Idioms Online
Lately, I’ve been wondering, is it just me? Is anyone else questioning how did we get here? When did our basic beliefs of human decency, political ideology and governing principles just get thrown out the window? We have duly elected legislators, representing every nook and cranny of this nation, who were sent to houses to protect the American people: The White House, the upper and lower houses of both Congress and state legislatures. I know there are folks in these houses, because we get and pay the bills every month (salaries, benefits, per diems, travel, trips to the golf course). So, the lights are definitely on. However, when you look at the current state of our country, you have to wonder is anybody really at home?
Are we really watching the Trump administration work to have the Affordable Care Act overturned during a health pandemic that has killed more than 140,000 people in this country? Is it possible that no one has a real answer to why more than 4 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 in one of the most advanced nations in the world? Off topic a bit, but has Trump ever mentioned his own school-aged son, Barron, while letting U.S. parents know that he doesn’t give a darn about our children? Was there really a debate about providing money to schools if they didn’t re-open fully? Did the U.S. Senate really do nothing for two months to prevent a discontinuation in unemployment, small business help and overall aid to states before the Cares Act runs out?
Are we really not responding to Russian efforts to put out a “hit” on American soldiers? Is no one going to do anything about the Department of Justice being used as a personal law firm for the president? So, you’re telling me, that we really have federally sanctioned police/military soldiers/whatever these folks are, snatching protestors off American streets, in unmarked vans and taking them God knows where, and we can’t stop this? Did we really see a U.S. mayor tear-gassed by said federally sanctioned police/military soldiers/whatever these folks are? Is it really easier to deploy federally sanctioned thugs on our streets to deal with crime than to start with sensible gun control?
Clearly, I could do this all day. However, I will end with this. I ran for office to give a voice to the constituents I serve, to advocate and work to protect and empower them those that sent me to the state capitol a/k/a the “people’s house.” It seems far too many public servants have forgotten who they serve and it’s time for the people to take back their houses.