I'm Sick and Tired of Americans Bashing Our Government

July 4th was the national celebration of the founding of our extraordinary country. It also happens to be my birthday, so perhaps I'm a tad extra-sensitive and extra-patriotic around Independence Day.

On the day after the 4th of July, a Facebook "friend" posted a picture of the U.S. Capitol with a caption underneath that read, "GOVERNMENT: If you think the problems we create are bad, just wait until you see our solutions."

I got mad. I know that Facebook isn't the place to air political differences, but somehow -- in the afterglow of yesterday's patriotic festivities -- it just hit me wrong. So I responded sarcastically: "Oh yes, government is terrible! Just think of it: Social Security, Medicare, the most powerful military on the planet, public education for all our children, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, a jury of your peers to judge you fairly if you get into trouble, fire fighters to protect your home and property, paramedics to save you if you're in a car accident or fall down the stairs, cops who protect us from drunk drivers and burglars, and much more. You're right, government is horrible!"

OK, I shouldn't have done it. It's rude to disagree with someone's Facebook posting. She didn't ask for my opinion -- she was simply expressing hers. I should have just let it go. But in a moment of pique I typed a quick comment, pointing out many of the good things our government provides -- and I did it sarcastically. Mea culpa. Bad netiquette. Call me cranky.

The truth is, I did it because I am sick and tired of Americans bashing our government -- all the while enjoy the myriad blessings and benefits provided by that same government!

Driven on a city street or a freeway lately? Thank our government for building and maintaining those roads and highways. Flown in an airplane on a business trip or vacation lately? Thank our government for air traffic controllers for helping ensure you made it to your destination safely. Mailed a letter or package lately? Thank our federal government for moving massive volumes of mail across our country every day. Walked across a street in a crosswalk lately? Thank our government for painting those crosswalks and making sure the "walk/don't walk" signs are in working order. Did you, your kids, or grandkids attend public schools? Thank our government for building and staffing those schools; thank the teachers who do their best to teach you and your family members with limited budgets and limitless patience. Ever seen those wildfires that devastate thousands of acres of forest... ever seen a home or community threatened by flames? Thank our government for the firefighters they hire, train, and deploy to save our personal and public property. I could go on... but you get the point.

As for all you "government is the problem" complainers and finger-pointers out there: If you think that American government is so awful, just check out the other governments on this planet and pick one you like better... then go live under their governance! We'll see how fast you come running back to the country whose government you think is so terrible.

Our federal, states, and local governments certainly aren't perfect -- but any institution, public or private, run by imperfect human beings isn't going to be perfect. It's easy to fault-find and complain about the mistakes and missteps that our government makes. Everybody's a critic.

But we get the government we create -- with our votes, with our involvement and influence, with our support and help, and yes, with our taxes. You want better government? Then roll up your sleeves and get involved -- help government improve -- instead of whining, complaining, finger-pointing, and attacking. If you don't like our American government, the best place to look for a solution is in the mirror.

 

Follow BJ Gallagher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BJ_Gallagher

Comments

[khanti]

11:31 PM on 07/08/2012

You choose your own government whether Republican or Democrats so when you are complaining all the time it is just like kicking your own xxxx althourgh I don't know how you will do it. Your leaders are shaped by your society.

[BJ Gallagher]

09:53 PM on 07/09/2012

I agree. We get the government we deserve ... we get the government we vote for. If we don't like our government, the answer is "get involved and change it." But that takes time, energy, and work. Some people don't want to DO anything ... they just want to complain and play the Blame Game. It's much easier to fault-find ... people get to be righteous without ever DOING anything. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.

[jhNY]

02:55 PM on 07/08/2012

Our government and our politics are currently captured by the American business interest. I don't like it. Sorry if this might upset you, who would prefer to believe you can vote your way past this state of affairs.

[BJ Gallagher]

09:58 PM on 07/09/2012

I'm not upset at all. I agree with you. It DOES take more than voting to change our government and the role that corporate money plays. It is a huge thing to take on ... but if we are really serious about wanting our government to be different, then we must make it our business to change it. We can run for office ourselves, we can organize grass roots organizations, we can work with bloggers and the press to expose corruption and incompetence, and more. It takes a lot of work to change a government. But if we don't take action to improve things, then I think we lose the right to sit passively and point fingers of blame.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I always appreciate people's comments, whether they agree with what I write or not. As Ken Blanchard always says, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." ;~}}

[jhNY]

10:58 AM on 07/10/2012

The system is captured; it will not be ransomed by grassroots efforts or progressive candidates running for office.  The trouble I have with your prescription is mostly this:  that when it fails, the participants blame themselves, when failure was always the outcome.  From there, the conclusion that it's our own fault we have the government we've got is more or less inevitable.  But it's wrong.  We've got the government we've got because it belongs to the American business interest-- which has no intention of losing control or having control wrested away-- drafting and passing law that would moot Citizens United-- a huge practical challenge-- would only put us back right where we were before the decision-- in a corporatocracy we prefer to believe is something else again.  It isn't..

[Neal Jansons]

02:00 AM on 07/07/2012

Thank you. I always wondered what a "good German" circa 1935 or so would have looked like.

[Franz Metcalf]

08:23 PM on 07/09/2012

Neal, no government is perfect and ours is far from it. But to play the Nazi card on our African-American president who just came out in favor of same-sex marriage is just not a credible move. In 1935, the Nazis had just gotten the Nuremberg Laws passed, depriving Jews of their civil rights. In 2012 America is on a track toward universal marriage rights and health care. I share your assumed concern about issues of privacy and the like. But even the US Supreme Court just came out with a mixed ruling that not only declined to extend judicial power (by overturning bipartisan law) but also checked the executive branch's power by denying its asserted justification underlying that law. I think the checks and balances are working and if you think that the beleaguered Obama administration is somehow about to rise up and take unilateral control of government in the face of Republican (to say nothing of Tea Party) challengers, you're just not living in the world most of the rest of us live in.

[BJGallagher]

04:14 AM on 07/10/2012

Thank you, Franz. I didn't want to spend any time on a response to someone who preferred a personal attack to discussing the topic ... but you have been generous enough to do it for me. And you said it much better than I would have. Thanks! You're right on target. So many people seem to throw the "Nazi" epithet around when it's a totally inappropriate comparison.

[BJ Gallagher]

10:00 PM on 07/09/2012

Ah, an ad hominem attack. Well, we all know how those work.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro]

01:56 AM on 07/07/2012

good post!

[BJ Gallagher]

10:01 PM on 07/09/2012

Thanks! I know government isn't perfect ... there is plenty of incompetence and corruption ... but there is also plenty of GOOD stuff government does, and I for one am grateful.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro]

10:14 PM on 07/09/2012

the more people we get involved the less chance for a screw-up.

[CoachJulie]

09:18 PM on 07/06/2012

I agree BJ, we have created our government with our votes and it seems that even those who choose not to vote, are complaining and finger-pointing as well. If we want change, we must look ourselves in the mirror and ask: "what am I doing to make a difference in my community, in my state, in my country and in my world." I've got my sleeves rolled up and hope that more Americans will step up and do the same.

[BJ Gallagher]

10:07 PM on 07/09/2012

Thanks, Julie. It's not that I'm some blindly loyal government defender .... but I DO see the millions of good people working in government, to serve the rest of us. They shouldn't be dismissed as corrupt idiots because of the misdeeds or incompetence of a few. I am grateful for the military, for Social Security, for Medicare, for disaster relief when floods and fires happen, for the post office, and for myriad other services my government provides with my tax dollars. I benefited from great public schools when I was a kid. I have much to be grateful for .. thanks to the US government.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Julie!

[macdarling]

06:30 PM on 07/06/2012

This is the country where good things-- and not good things happen. Howard Schultz, CEO Starbucks, was right when he said we need citizenship and not partisanship. Government isn't the problem. It's the one-sided, winner-take-all-show-me-the-money-buy-me-the-election politician who is the problem. As voters, we need to create a government that is by the people and of the people. Thanks, BJ- good post!

[BJ Gallagher]

10:10 PM on 07/09/2012

You nailed it, Eileen! Government isn't the problem ... it's part of the solution but not all of it, of course. As long as human beings live in community, we have to find ways of working together, establishing rules of communal living and working, and contribute funds to pay for the services which we all benefit from. The American government is far from perfect – but I've traveled the world and haven't seen any other governments I'd trade for ours.
I like the quote you cited from Howard Schultz: We need citizenship, not partisanship.
Thanks for taking the time to write. Warm regards, BJ