Dear Santa –
I know it’s your busy season, but hope you'll find time for one more wish list. Don't worry, I won't be asking for anything your elves will have to make; rather, I'm hoping you can make a few arrangements
The political landscape for the next two years looks bleak. In too many states (mine included) the legislatures are solidly controlled by narrow-minded nut jobs who don't believe in science, but do believe in taking orders from wealthy donors in order to make the latter more wealthy.
Dear Santa –
I know it’s your busy season, but hope you'll find time for one more wish list. Don't worry, I won't be asking for anything your elves will have to make; rather, I'm hoping you can make a few arrangements
The political landscape for the next two years looks bleak. In too many states (mine included) the legislatures are solidly controlled by narrow-minded nut jobs who don't believe in science, but do believe in taking orders from wealthy donors in order to make the latter more wealthy.
Santa, I am wondering if you can't do something to protect the people in those states who are not politically powerful (that is, the poor and the shrinking middle class). And while you're at it, can you make sure the know-nothings in the statehouse don't completely plunder the state’s natural resources at the behest of their well-heeled masters?
I’m also wondering if you can do something about legislators in Washington. They have worked far too long doing far too little, and seem to know only how to blame one another. The trouble is most of DC’s lawmakers are firmly in the pockets of moneyed interests. This makes it unlikely (if not impossible) that our representatives will address the needs of the less affluent.
Anyway, the politicians end up saying or doing whatever it takes to do the bidding of those who write the checks, even if that means kissing off the well-being of citizens today as well as those in the future.
Part of the problem lies in the notions that money equals speech and that corporations are people. The current situation, then, is that big corporations (and the shady organizations funded by them) can speak so loudly that the interests of the American majority are regularly ignored.
But if you are to do anything about that, you'll have to do something about the myopic majority on the Supreme Court. Honestly, can you think of any way to get them to see the error of their ways? Maybe you could arrange for visits by the ghosts of jurisprudence past, present, and future.
Heck, if you're calling in ghosts, go ahead and send three of them to every lawmaker everywhere. Maybe if they had a chance to see how things used to be done, when policy was made by, as well as a fresh look at how things are for the citizenry and how ugly they stand to get if we stay on this path, maybe then they’d learn the true meaning of public service.
Oh, one other thing: if you can arrange it, I'd like my sons spend more time with me. Seems that school, work, and girlfriends have consumed their schedules entirely; any chance of moving me up the priority list?
Hoping this note finds you feeling ambitious, St. Nick, and at the peak of your magical powers, I remain
Your pal, Pat
Pat Grimes, a former South Bay resident, writes from Ypsilanti, Mich. He can be reached at pgwriter@inbox.com
