Politics Is Life

Countdown for Cleaning up America's Political Mess   If the countdown began today, we'd have roughly 12 months to try and fix America's political mess. A year to reinvent American politics, to make people believe that the system isn't broken ... and, that their two cents still equals two pennies. God knows, we have little to make us hope that things will turn around, after two years of scarily bad politics. Twelve months from now, somebody in Washington, D.C. will be helping plan a presidential inauguration, bringing in the new ... or, maybe, keeping in the old. We can only hope that this election will be based on American's voting power, and nothing else. But, until that time, we have a democracy that needs rebuilding. Some assurances to make - that our political leaders will be elected, not bought - or decided on by the Supreme Court judges. Somebody, hopefully, will be convincing our young that becoming public servants, and participating in the democratic process is still a job worth doing, in spite of what's taking place across the country. Oh, that we could say it all started in 2000 with the political circus called a presidential election. In fact, that election was an expansion of the long, eight years before. When Americans complained, but mostly chuckled and winked, and said their politicians were acting like children. Unfortunately, their games crippled American democracy. The media dubbed this dark period in America, "blood sports" - the political "bling-bling" of the 90's. Whatever we choose to call it; today, we are at the next level down, and sinking fast. If we took a ride through everyday America, we'd fine busloads of good leaders doing good things in their perspective communities. There are even a few promising names on the Democratic slate. Sadly, though, the obstacles to good leadership still loom large. This new fear of the giant "U" on their report cards, has tied our leaders' tongues, and tied their hands. America needs loud voices, and leaders who stay true to the ideals that got them elected in the first place. Americans, bless our hearts, still want to believe in fairy tales, and living happily ever after. And, 9-1-1, and Bin Laden and Al Qaida, threatened those dreams. And, we needed a leader to make us feel safe, and we put on our rose-colored glasses and saw George Bush as that leader. And, he was, for a time. But, that was then, when the war was proclaimed a victory, and we smiled to see a President who could land a fighter jet. And, we sighed with relief, and took off the rose-color glasses because we believed our world was finally being set right. But, that victory was short-lived, and the war yet escalates, and the bad guys are still out there, and our leaders are allowing the country to be run as if Arnold was in that seat ... rushing into war, taking the enemies and asking questions later. Yet, America wants to believe in our leaders, our white house and Congress. But, it's hard, when American politics is such a mess. It's hard, with the body counts piling up, the unemployment lines getting longer, and hard-working families losing their savings while the rich still get richer. And, there is less than one year for somebody to try to make it right. There is less than one year to convince Americans that our democracy can work; that, when voters elect a man into office, he will stay in office. That, the public servant in the oval office will listen to the people he takes an oath to serve, not the ghosts from another time, another presidential era. Americans, certainly black Americans, cannot allow bad politics to define our politics. We can't afford to turn our backs on the one thing that helped move us forward after years of economic and social oppression. Yes, today's political mess makes it harder and harder to believe something good can come out of it all; makes it harder to drag ourselves out of bed to those voting machines. But, giving up, is giving in ... turning over what political clout we do have, to those we least want to have it. Voting and participating in the political process is not an option for the poor, the oppressed, and the minorities of this great country. No matter how screwed up our political process, we have a responsibility to help make it work again. Politics, like life, requires us to get up every single day, rain or shine, and do the things we have to do. Mostly, it demands that we take responsibility for our own destiny, and our children's futures ... by doing our part to clean up America's political mess. Janis F. Kearney is a Chicago writer, former journalist and diarist to President Bill Clinton. A Harvard W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow, she is currently completing William Jefferson Clinton: from Hope to Harlem; and a personal memoir, Cotton Field of Dreams. Kearney Communications 5138 S. Kenwood Ave.#2 Chicago, IL 60615 (773)493-2007 --ph (773)493-5747 - fax janisfk@aol.com