Proof that Voting by Party is not the way to move this Country Forw

Talk to anyone who loves politics and you will hear them describe themselves as a Republican, Democrat or Independent.  Once that distinction is made, you will typically know which way your conversation is going to go.  You know that no matter which party affiliation that the subject of your talk is about, nothing they have done will ever be seen as good because in order to maintain honest affiliation you must defend your party above all else.  Because of this we are required not to think for ourselves but follow the lead of those who are supposed to know more and better.  We are not required to hold them accountable for any misdeeds because we are first and foremost party first, country last.  That being the case, to whom are we beholding to then, certainly not ourselves because our decisions are being made by group than by individual.  It’s time for a change.

Not all politicians should be painted by the same brush.  Many have made campaign promises and once in office delivered upon them, those I say we keep whether Republican, Democrat or Independent but for those who made promises only to acquire the job then quickly forgot who truly sent them to do a job, need their pink slips handed to them with quickness.  This is proof that voting by party makes no sense since we all know that every single human being makes mistakes and will continue to make them as long as we are of the flesh.  We know that the label you carry makes little to no difference in the company you keep or whether you soon begin to see yourself as smarter, larger and more important than those who sent you there.

According to the Associated Press in an article titled “Former congressman in court on possible contempt charge”  it talks about “Former Congressman Aaron Schock and his attorneys appeared in Springfield federal court this week for a hearing to determine if he should be held in civil contempt for failing to produce campaign and congressional records. Schock's lead attorney, George Terwilliger, said attorneys were seeking to secure Schock's constitutional rights in connection with a grand jury investigation. The Republican from Peoria is under federal investigation over his use of taxpayer and campaign money.”  This gentleman was so obvious with his disdain for the office that he took picture of every taxpayer dime he spent to make his surroundings and vacation that more spectacular.  I don’t think there was one bill he sponsored or even created to honor those who voted and sent him there but make no mistake he was not the first and he will not be the last.

According to Mother Jones Magazine in an article titled “Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah Just Got Indicted. Here's What He's Accused Of” by Russ Choma it talks about “the Department of Justice dropped 29 federal racketeering charges on Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) and a handful of close associates this morning, claiming that he diverted campaign and charitable funds to cover the cost of a failed mayoral run and to pay off his son's student loans. Investigators have been circling Chaka for years. Last year, a top aide pleaded guilty to helping Fattah divert the money towards his son's student loan debt, and Fattah's son is awaiting trial on federal charges of his own in connection to the scheme. Fattah is the second Democratic member of Congress to be indicted on corruption charges by the Department of Justice this year. New Jersey's Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted in April, stemming from accusations he helped a campaign donor obtain benefits from the federal government in exchange for favors. Fattah, who was first elected in 1995, is the third sitting member of Congress to be indicted on corruption charges in the last two years. Former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), who represented Staten Island, was charged with fraud and tax evasion in April 2014 and was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this month.”  Now this gentleman has been in Washington for quite some time and in some circumstances has done some good things but that alone does not afford him the right to break the very laws he helped create because he is in a better position to get money thrown at him.  He was sent and always be required to represent the people who sent him in the most honorable way.  This is not honorable and neither were the actions of those also mentioned in this article.

Here is my solution to this problem, instead of labeling yourself as one party or another, label yourself as an American voter first with the one and only primary focus of moving your nation forward.  Look for a candidate that is making promises you would like to see and that will help this nation as a whole and not just a select few.  That’s the one we all should vote for and when they take their oath of office stay on top of them to keep their ship sailing on the straight and narrow.  If they falter maybe we cut them a break the first maybe even a second time but as in baseball, three strikes and you are out.  Forget what party you are with because if you are not doing the job you were hired by the voters to accomplish, no party affiliation will save you from our boot.