When Ignorance is Far From Bliss

For one who has spent most of his adult life in education and other non-profit endeavors, the current state of our disgusting politics is a great mystery, especially as practiced "within the beltway."

In the U.S. Congress today what once made sense in the classroom about research, logic and truth has disappeared entirely, except perhaps for the occasional lip-service acknowledgement. The values of service to the humankind, regardless of who and where they are, are hopelessly lost in a truly evil labyrinth created over decades by self-serving politicians doing their worst, using every trick of the trade, to hold on to their jobs. Outright lying is essential to their game, as are their moment-b y-moment distortions of facts and their vicious, ill-founded attacks upon one another.

It's ugly.  It's degrading.  It's demoralizing.

Most Americans would like to think there's a hint of decency in the persons they elect to public office. But that reality is long since gone. By the time our elected officials get to the House or the Senate, they are already so contaminated they have come to accept political malpractice as the norm. Deceit is the name of their game.

Those of us "outside" these corrupt-to-the core potlical circles feel helpless, and, yes, betrayed. We have tried to vote for the best. But nothing has changed. In fact, with each passing day, political corruption has only spread more widely and cemented itself more firmly at the very heart of our once-Democratic system .

In our youth alone exist hopeful signs. They see what I see . " We can do better! We must do better!" They are screaming.

I pray our youth well. Our future depends upon them.