A country’s government is one of the most important aspects of our lives. The laws that govern people help shape cultures and civilizations for hundreds of years. American citizens live in a country with laws protecting freedoms, civil liberties, financial rights, and other gravely important cornerstones of modern society.
So why don’t we trust our government?
I’m not saying we should. God knows I don’t believe a single word out of the mouths of officials and lawmakers, but why not? Why are the people in charge untrustworthy individuals? Why is the 2016 election so full of bullshitters and thieves?
Maybe it’s not just us. I can’t think of any other major country with a group of citizens who overwhelmingly trust their government officials. Maybe Sweden. They’re always so perfect all the time.
So here’s another question: Can we fix it? Are we, as a country, as a society of different-minded humans with vastly diverse lifestyles, able to reach a point where we can care, and then trust, our leadership?
Maybe it’s the perceived warfare in a country with aggravated violence. Maybe the veterans step back onto American soil and forget that war is very different from security, and that freedom trumps safety every time. I am forever grateful to the men and women who protect and serve this country, but I will advocate for the basic freedoms of our citizens any chance I get.
Can I trust an entity that invokes security for every citizen, but can’t keep a website up for more than a few months without a malware attack?
Now I’m the problem. I get it. But can you blame me? Can someone convince me my government cares about my freedoms? If a politician can stand in front of me and tell me they care about my well-being, without lying, I’d grow some faith back. It would be worth the discomfort.
It sucks to care. But I do, deeply, honestly, genuinely, care, about my nation and the people who run it. I hate the presidential candidates for 2016. I’m disillusioned with the usual suspects locally. There’s no one convincing enough to get my vote this year.
Please fix this. Please, please, stop listening to Fox and CNN and Yahoo, and start backing candidates with a backbone. Give your attention to upstanding, selfless people who care. And trust the trustworthy people, not just the guy who’s a great public speaker, or the female because she has breasts. This isn’t a joke, or a popularity contest, or TMZ. It’s our country. It’s the place that shapes the lives of our future generations.
We need to trust again. But before we can trust, we need to care. Someone prove that I should care. Otherwise it’s gone to the dogs.
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