The concept of representation in government has become skewed.  This has flitted across my consciousness frequently for months … nay, for several years, truth be told.  But in the last week, the thought has repeatedly smacked me hard upside the head, and a short piece in the Opinions section of The Washington Post this morning was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

When we vote for the candidate of our choice on election day, we assume that the winning candidate will represent us.  Now, it may be the case that a candidate is put into office almost exclusively by the votes of the wealthy, the white, the Christians, the republicans … but once in office, he represents us all.  His job is not simply to ensure that the laws are written to enhance and protect the specific groups that voted for him.  But that concept has been lost along the way … not by all politicians, but absolutely by almost every single republican in Congress or the White House.  Nowhere in the oath he takes does it say he will uphold the Constitution to the extent it supports only the minority.

The divide between democrats and republicans has become so great that perhaps neither can see what they are doing to this nation.  Certainly the republicans in Congress have all but forgotten that their allegiance is to this nation and its people … ALL of its people.

Outgoing republican Senator Bob Corker was asked yesterday why he does not support crafting and enacting legislation that would protect the Russian investigation under Robert Mueller from the idiosyncrasies of Donald Trump, who could essentially fire Mueller and close down the investigation at any time.   And he answered …

“The president is, as you know — you’ve seen his numbers among the Republican base — it’s very strong. It’s more than strong, it’s tribal in nature. People who tell me, who are out on trail, say, look, people don’t ask about issues anymore. They don’t care about issues. They want to know if you’re with Trump or not.”

Think about that one for a few minutes, folks.  The republicans in Congress will refuse to do what they know to be the right thing, for it may anger the 35% or so of the nation who still support Trump.  Mid-terms are coming up in a short eight months, you know, and we wouldn’t want to do anything to anger our base.  Mr. Corker just made it as plain as the nose on your face that the only people he and his cronies believe they need to represent are the minority of citizens who support Donald Trump.  I don’t support Trump, therefore Mr. Corker feels no obligation to give a royal whit about my best interests, or yours.

The first three Articles in the U.S. Constitution outline the responsibilities of the three branches of government.  Article I is the legislative branch – Congress.  Do you know why it came before the executive branch – the president?  Because the framers believed Congress was the more important.  They were the ones who would defend this nation … and We The People.  Congress would make laws, it was believed, in the best interest of all the people.  Note that today, the majority of the people in the United States are convinced that the investigation by Robert Mueller and his team is of particular importance, given the growing evidence before our eyes that the Trump family and campaign had extraordinary ties to Russia.  And the majority is more convinced than ever that Donald Trump has much to hide, given his obsessively erratic behaviour of the past week – behaviour that reeks of guilt.  But the majority of the country does not matter … not at all … to the republican lawmakers who are more intent on stroking and appeasing the minority, because they do not wish to risk losing voters.  Is this all that matters?  Apparently so.

And equally infuriating is the fact that some 35% of the nation “don’t care about issues”.  They only care whether a legislator supports Trump, not whether he supports them or their families.  A few short hours ago, I told Hugh that I really needed to stop referring to Trump supporters in negative language, for perhaps I had been unfair in judging them based on their vote.  Too bad I cannot stick to that, but at this point, I will go on record as saying that anybody … man, woman, Christian, atheist, straight, gay, white, black … anybody who cares more about supporting Trump than the many crucial issues we face today, such as health care, immigration, education, infrastructure, foreign relations, climate change, and much more, is ignorant.  If Trump dies tomorrow, our lives will go on (and be better for it).  If our air becomes unbreathable or our water undrinkable tomorrow, we will all die.  If millions of people cannot afford healthcare, they will die.  But 35% of this nation don’t care about the issues???  Wake up and smell the coffee, people!  Wake up and see how you have been manipulated and used for the personal gain of one ‘man’ and his family!

The world will never be perfect, nor will this nation.  But once we stop striving to make it better, as our representatives and their blind followers have done, then we are doomed.  We elect representatives based on how well we feel they will represent us and the things we most care about.  Some in this country have lost sight of that concept, and in so doing have handed over the lives of every single person in this country to a corrupt, selfish individual.  In the past few weeks, I have asked myself why I write this blog.  I needn’t ask any more.  This is why I write this blog, for I cannot sit idly by and allow the ignorant to rule our world without at least trying to make a difference.