Some good has come out of this partisan fiasco

People are getting more involved

I like to look at some of the positive consequences of this issue. The negative are obvious to most everyone: That it has become divisive, that nothing gets done in the Legislative branch, that special interest groups have more power than the individual constituents because of their money persuasive powers and so on…

But I will say this: before, I considered myself to be well informed and somewhat active in politics. I never missed an election and believed the right to vote one of the most precious of all the rights given to me by our Constitution.

But I never wrote a letter, nor did I sign any petitions because it was not necessary. It was a given that all our elected officials would go and represent their constituents who elected them and fight for their well being and concerns. Not any more is this true. Now we elect officials and they turn around and represent the interests of those who contribute heavily to their campaign treasure chests.

But you know what? Now the general public is becoming a lot more involved on both sides of the political spectrum. They are more passionate and they interface with their politicians. They are writing blogs, they are sending letters, they are joining “grass-root movements” and they are going to demonstrations and rallies. Good grief, in my youth only radicals went to demonstrations. Only the political activists went to rallies; but the majority of the American public sat out all these and they would only participate when Election Day arrived.

So if anything this whole grid lock and Republican do nothing tactics is causing a reaction and it is for the good of the country because there are unthinkable numbers of people who are getting involved and they are going to be heard.

Even those like the Tea Baggers who speak in generalities and do not offer logical, common sense solutions are being drawn into this whole new fangled participatory democracy. Even the ignorant and uninformed are getting in the act. Whether it is on the right or on the left, the base of the party is not the only segment that is energized. What is really too bad and alarming at the same time is that with a recent Supreme Court ruling all this is going to be wasted and those who are participating will be drowned out by the heavy contributions from the very wealthy and the corporations.