An Open Letter to Speaker Boehner

Mister Spealer, I will be brief. I am not your constituent except that I am a citizen of these United States which you profess so greatly to love. In fact, I have been a citizen of these United States for well over three generations. I have observed the political scene with keen interest since I was a boy. Like most Americans, I am appalled at the break down of Congress. An institution of change has become one of stagnation. Today our President outlined a frightening scenario regarding the so-called debt ceiling. He wants it raised, telling us that unless it is, the government may not have the fubds to pay its bills already incurred or promised. He more than intimated that among the obligations that could be placed in jeopardy would be social security payments. Red flag! Whether I choose to believe that his side of the aisle is being honest or not, I address yours. The fact is that the majority of the American people are under threat of being held hostage by a minority of very wealthy men and women. Millionaires stand to decide our fate. If, for example, my social security check were delayed or withheld, that would be half my income for the given month. To you, losing that amount of money would be insignificant. Losing half your income for a month, you would still be comfortable. If I lose half my income for a month I will have to choose between paying my rent and my heating bill, and eating. That is no overstatement of my reality, and I am not alone. In fact, I am far from badly off compared to a great many other American citizens. My point is that you, Mr. Boehner, who probably will never read these words, are the main controlling force behind what has become a tyranny of the minority. You have led your party and its members in a continuous fight to obstruct. It hardly seems to matter what it is you obstruct -- it is the obstruction that feeds you. In my opinion, this is akin to treason against the will and best interests of our country. And to most observers, it seems that you do not care. In fact, it is getting harder and harder for someone like myself to argue that loyalty to one's country will be rewarded in that country's loyalty to oneself. The country takes and takes, but when it is time to give, the country doesn't care. At least, those the poeple entrusted with the task of governing the country do not seem to care. I do not want to believe that. Prove to me that you care about all Americans, not just the handful of wealthy ones who keep forgetting that their wealth depends on a healthy, prosperous and spending populace. That populace includes everyone within our borders, young and old. We all still contribute. We all still participate. We all still love our country. But I fear that our country does not love us. Certainly the members of Congress have grown too far apart from mainstream America to even notice.