Congress Service T-Shirt

There was a time when the people who served as our elected officials were the most brilliant and honorable members of our society. Service was exactly that – a sacrifice of time, effort, and opportunity in order to ensure the nation succeeded. Most of our founding fathers sacrificed significant wages in order to take their roles in Congress. Many actually went into debt as a result. Eight went into bankruptcy.

These men did aspire to serve, but the driving force was their belief that they had to provide their significant wisdom and intellect, backed by accomplishment in the real world, to help govern in a just and honorable manner. Power and status was not the goal. Washington left after two terms when he could have stayed on until his death if he so desired. John Adams continued to provide aid to other Presidents after his term was up, including to the man who defeated him: Thomas Jefferson.

And it wasn’t this way because they all agreed. Jefferson and Adams believed almost the opposite on many of the issues of the day: central power versus state power, engagement in external affairs or isolationism, holding slaves versus abolition – the list goes on. They had brutal, divisive, and pointed arguments on the floors of Congress. And while men have always had personal designs and goals, for the most part, these men argued with fervor for what they felt was right – what would advance the nation.

Now, with some minor exception, we have men and women who are on one team or the other, who try to create divisive issues out of thin air that they can use to split us in two as a nation, with one goal and one goal only: to get re-elected. They are not our best and brightest – they do not sacrifice. Many take a significant pay RAISE when they take office. They give themselves significant raises, exempt themselves from many laws, and ignore our wishes immediately after election. Political parties didn’t even exist at the signing of the constitution. The electoral college voted: first place was President, second place was Vice-President. Now, if an American doesn’t have party affiliation, Congress has actually passed laws to make it DIFFICULT TO EVEN RUN FOR OFFICE.

Elected officials used to serve. Now, they tend to just take.

And the only people that can do anything about that is US.

Congress is a service. Not a profession.