In 1776, we got rid of the royalty only to have it reappear in Washington, D.C.
The other day when I was shoveling snow, I wondered how long it had been since our royalty (executive, legislative, judicial and all the rest in Washington) had shoveled snow.
When I was pumping gas at $3.50 a gallon, I wondered when was the last time our royalty pumped their own gas.
When I was in the checkout line at the grocery store and saw the final bill for more than $100 for only five bags of groceries, I wondered when our royalty had done the same and been just as surprised.
When I balanced my checkbook, I noticed that I was going to have to cut a few things out of January in order to pay for December. It never occurred to me to just print some extra cash. But, then again, I am not royalty.
I began to think of all the things that Americans go through every day that royalty does not.
When I thought about it, it became clear as to why our royalty doesn't think like we do. They do not have to. They spend their nights at the Lincoln Center being entertained by celebrities; I don't. They have lavish dinners for important people, dinners I could not afford (although I am picking up the tab, aren't I?)
They travel all over the world on fact-finding missions at huge expense to me. I can Google the same information at no charge. It probably isn't the same experience, though, is it?
When royalty wants more money for themselves, they vote themselves a raise. I wish I could do that. They spend money that they don't have, and when it's time to pay up, they call me.
I might not like how they spent that money, but I pay. They have spent more money than I can pay or that my children can pay or that my grandchildren can pay and then they smile and say, we need more money.
In 1776 we had the intelligence to get rid of the royalty; today we vote them into office over and over again. As long as we act like peasants, they will treat us like peasants.
I think that what we need to do is vote for people who shovel snow, pump their own gas, stand in line at the grocery store, balance their own budget and, yes, make a sacrifice or two when the books don't balance.
If our royalty in Washington is the best that America has, we are doomed. How smart do you have to be to spend $17 trillion more than you have?
If we are the richest nation in the world and we have the best minds, wouldn't we have a few bucks to spare??
Wouldn't those minds have saved a little for a rainy day? It's all so confusing, but then again, I am just a peasant.
Peasants don't think like royalty.
Eric M. Martin
James Creek
