When Grown-Ups Stop Acting Like Grown-Ups

My hubby is a bit of a crossword fanatic, so every day he brings one home from work that he was working on at lunchtime.  I help him out a bit and usually between the two of us we can get darn close to knocking them out.  Saturday is no different, so he chugs up to the gas station to get the early Sunday edition of the Strib.  So it's kind of nice then on Saturday I can peruse the news too instead of just the crossword section he brings home and the adjacent "articles" (in case you were wondering, it would only take about 45 minutes and 40 bucks per decade to keep your sensitive MIL happy by sending her birthday cards, well worth the investment - ah the things you learn from reading the newspaper).

So this morning I was doing just that - perusing the paper.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an article stating that the Wisconsin Democrats are "in hiding".  The state troopers have been enlisted to try and sniff them out.

"Why on earth are they hiding?", I wonder.  "Is there another madman on the loose plugging representatives?"

My curiosity piqued, I read on.  Turns out there's no serial killer on the loose.  No envelopes full of anthrax fluttering in the air.  There's a vote.  A vote on a bill.  The whole reason that these people were elected in the first place.  To vote on bills.  And the Democrats are hiding because they don't wanna vote.  They don't wanna and they say they are willing to stay in hiding for weeks.


Are you kidding me???!!!!

I'm no Democrat, but I'm not a staunch Republican either.  If I had to pick the party that represented my ideas best I think I'd have to go with the Constitution party, though I have issues with them too.  So don't think I'm riding high on my elephant when I say, "Suck it up, babies!"

This is how democracy works.  People elect who they think will represent them best.  Those people propose and vote on bills and such to make the laws that make our world go round.  If you don't like who you picked, you pick someone else next time.  What you DON'T do is say, "I'm not coming to work because things aren't going my way."  And what you REALLY don't do is get all your friends to go hide too.  Give me a break!!!!

Did I go hide in a closet when John McCain was nominated instead of Ron Paul?  Did I lay on the floor and cry when Obama was elected president?  No!  Because every day I wake up and put on my big girl panties.  Did I refuse to pay taxes when Obama's healthcare plan passed?  No.  Maybe I should have, but I didn't, because that's the way the system works.  That's the game we play.  And I don't quit playing just because I'm not winning right now.  Methinks maybe the Wisconsin Democrats accidentally bought Rainbow Brite and Bart Simpson Underoos at Target instead of some sensible Hanes.  Just sayin'...

Is what is going on with the Republicans very fair?  No.  I concede that.  But that's what you get when you insist on a two party system.  If you had more people from the Green party or Constitution party in there, then maybe you wouldn't have this problem.  Things would be a little more fair, balanced, and middle-ground for everyone.  But we're not playing that game.  We're playing two-party politics and the Democrats are getting skunked over there.  It sucks, but it doesn't mean you throw a fit and go pout.  I have to tell Henry and Mitchell that almost every time we play a game.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but if you quit in the middle just because you're behind, you're not very fun to play with.  It's a concept they haven't learned very well yet.  But I guess I shouldn't worry too much because it looks like the Wisconsin Democrats have gotten all the way to adulthood without learning that lesson and they seem to be doing alright for themselves.

And it's not like the Republicans are trying to propose reviving slavery or anything.  It's just money people.  Money gets given and taken in a million unfair ways by our government every day.  It's the nature of the beast.  And collective bargaining?  Again, millions of people living without it right now in America.  And don't get me started on teacher's unions.  There's a blog post coming up about them in particular.  But seriously, this really doesn't seem like something worth giving up your dignity over.

So, political tirade over, I'm pretty intrigued that they have the troopers looking for them.  What are they going to do if they find them?  Is it like hide and seek?  When they get found will they give up and come back?  Or is this more of a Steven Cowan incident?  Will they have to be dragged back in cuffs, kicking and screaming?  Can you make someone vote in cuffs?  If you uncuff them at the capitol building, will they just starting throwing out kung fu moves and make a break for the door again?  My mind is full of questions.

I hope the state troopers have better luck hunting down the Democrats across the border in Illinois than the military has hunting down Osama across the border in Pakistan.  Will the democrats grow long beards?  Does Illinois have much in the way of cozy caves to hide in?

As much as this astounds me, I was even more disgusted to learn that this isn't the first time the Democrats have gone and pouted.  In 2003 in Texas apparently they hid because they didn't want to vote on redrawing congressional districts.  Wow.

Seriously, I think that upon election, at your swearing in, they should issue you some big kid undies.  I'd be willing to have my taxes raised if it was going to buying the Democrats a little self respect.

Now, I realize my views are not everyone's views, so tell me what YOU think!  Leave me a comment or even better, post your own blog on the topic and leave the link in the comments so I can surf on over and peek inside your brain too :-)