Washington Needs a Lesson In Civics...Now!

Washington Needs a Lesson In Civics...Now! I just finished watching "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and I've come to the stark realization that every member of the US Congress needs to watch this excellent film, not once or twice, but several times to take hold and reaffirm what their oaths of office really mean and stand for. Paying close attention to the scene where Jefferson Smith takes his oath as the new senator from his state should jar a lot of consciences on Capitol Hill...and elsewhere in Washington DC, the seat of the most powerful nation on earth. And it probably wouldn't hurt anyone occupying the White House and manning the bench of the US Supreme Court to watch the film a few times either. A civics class refresher course never hurt anyone. While the film might seem fanciful and wonderfully nostalgic, with a superb script and story, James Stewart in the title role of Jefferson Smith and Frank Capra at the helm wielding a deft hand at direction, the core, the simple imagery of what our government is SUPPOSED to accomplish, what it is SUPPOSED to represent, for every man, woman and child in this country, is inescapable. In the now-famous filibuster scene, Jeff Smith lashes out, passionately condemning political and ethical corruption, along with greedy political machines, making his denunciation so profound for today's America. He vehemently condemns the corruption that comes at the expense of democracy. Jefferson Smith exhibits the idealism that every young member of Congress should be filled with, that idealism that all-to-often disappears when the power and influence and Beltway stardom all sink their long, bloody claws into mortal flesh, turning those commissioned to do their best for us, the citizens who elected them, into mere hand puppets and marionettes, living zombies, waiting for orders and directions, not from the people but from the political machines that really control the seats on Capitol Hill and the White House. Our elected "leaders" pay homage, not to the electorate, but to those who have the most money to throw around; to those hoping to get the biggest bang for each political buck spent. Colossal campaign donations with the expectancy of getting something in return, in conjunction with influence peddling lobbyists and their greedy clients, involve money in such quantities you'd think they printed it themselves. The "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" disease has becomes a terrible reality, the cure...elusive.The money isn't spent for the good of the people but for the benefit of special interests who fund our "leaders" with bankrolls that never dry up. Politicians and Corporate America end up being the big winners, while the men, women and children of this nation end up being yanked to the ground and pulled along by the chain of corporate power and money...and corrupted politics. Mr. Lincoln's "...of the people, by the people and for the people..." has disintegrated into Big Money's "...of the elite, by the elite and for the elite..." Capitol Hill and its environs can change all that by simply reflecting on the oaths taken, carefully noting the words and what they mean; on what America has stood for since 1776. Jefferson Smith laid it out plain and simple...in a 1939 movie. So, if they have the guts, the moxie, the gumption, each and every member of Congress, each Supreme Court Justice and every President, current and future, needs to reread their oaths of office. Those oaths are a sacred vow, a sworn promise to the Constitution and the people it protects. And with the exception of the president, that vow is made to God. It's time our "leaders" left the money-lined pockets of political machines and jumped into the empty pockets of the people who really matter...the people of the United States of America. The bottom line is our elected "leaders" need to get in step with this nation and her people; to pay heed to a young fictional senator's idealism and belief in a system meant to benefit everybody...not just a privileged few.