“Government of the people, by the people, and for the people” is the rallying cry familiar to most democracy-oriented Americans. This standard is theoretically embraced. It is a wonderful concept if properly used and understood.
But there is a problem – what if it is really not honored? What if there is intrinsic bias when those who have chosen to serve don’t live up to their democratic goals? What if the lure of money, power, bigotry and clout get in the way? What if those who are responsible representatives charged with ensuring that government works are found to be derelict in their duties?
Unfortunately, it turns out there are individuals occupying seats of power who are more comfortable enjoying the use of resource power grants, while often ignoring the masses who should be the beneficiaries of government largesse. Their constituents often find themselves “victims” of government ambassadors who were put in place to serve them.
Recently, there has been a slew of events that have made some folks wonder whether those in seats of power actually care about them.
Corruption has always been a part of the scenario whenever human beings, and the possible acquisition and/or distribution of resources, enter the picture. Lately, it seems as though this trend is becoming more prevalent, especially during recent years where there has been a disregard for the rights of the people, demonstrated by some powerbrokers at the highest levels of government. This can result in regular citizens being cheated, mistreated, or downright ignored by those who are stewards of government.
For example, there are government officials who improperly deny distributing resources due to those who need them. Or they drag their feet when clients request goods and services.
The interesting thing is that these abuses don’t just stop at the higher levels of government; too often there is a prominent disrespect of the people who come in contact with individuals in city, state, county, or national government. It even manifests at the lower echelons where one person is responsible for ensuring the distribution of goods and services to people.
Some civil servants use their power to determine who gets what in the distribution of government largesse.
There are those who, because of bigotry and/or prejudice, use their clout to deny people jobs. There are those who maliciously “blackball” people they dislike or who they believe have not given them sufficient attention. There are those who are charged with providing particular services to citizens but who drag their feet distributing these services, causing stress in communities and the furtherance of suffering in certain homes and communities.
They are like cogs in a wheel that block the progress of the efficient flow of government services. And one of the ironies of this situation is that it is not always race-based! Some Blacks in power are just as obnoxious in this regard as some white people. Black power and white power often work together in this regard.
The crux of this matter might be connected with a growing lack of appreciation for democratic principles and, by extension, respect for people who do not have the clout to encourage our government servants to honor their commitment to serve the people.
When a public servant refuses to honor directives to provide much-needed medication to a suffering constituent’s family member, it is a form of disrespect, and demonstrates perhaps the arrogant characteristics of those who play fast and loose with democracy.
When given adequate scrutiny, we might discover that the tendency to value certain groups of people over others has its repercussions, rippling throughout America. We are in a war of ideologies that has slowly saturated the rest of American society.
Too many people don’t value themselves and each other because of (or as a result) of the devaluing of democratic principles.
Americans had better beware; if we don’t, we might someday find ourselves occupying a type of pernicious global gulag serving the whims of a non-democratic, global “elite” that has no respect for the well-being of anyone but themselves! A Luta Continua!
