An Open Letter to the Congress of the United States
August 2, 2009
Dear Madames and Messieurs,
It is so sad to see you go, even if it is for a month. I'm sure you will miss me as well. I'm sure you will miss my rantings and musings on your ill-gotten gains. I know you can't wait for me to submarine your zealous desire to continue to serve in a role designed to be largely volunteer in nature. I can appreciate that you will enjoy returning to my off colour comments about Czarina Pelosi and zie Fuhrer Johann Boehner. And let's not forget all my Facebook friends and sparring partners. I'm sure you will miss them and their lucid and insightful commentary on your hapless careers. So, while you enjoy luring your largely uneducated and ill-informed constituency through fear mongering and loathing of the other party into the abyss that is health care reform, energy renewal, and titillating stimulus, let me tell you what I will be doing.
First, I will be enjoying what remains of this summer with my family. You remember them right, your family and family values. I won't be committing adultery or hanging out with the pages during my time this summer. I mean, it sounds like fun, but...nah...not for me. Second, I will be working. I work as hard as the next guy and gal, and as I pointed out earlier, for $680,000 a day for 137 days per year, you folks "work" as well. During your month off, I'm sure the payola you receive from various interest groups, PACs, and foreign "dignitaries" will certainly keep you afloat. Third, I will be writing about you. That's right. For the next thirty days, I will write something every day to let people I care about know how important it is to keep your influence limited and to limit those that influence you.
Finally, I pray that when you return, you will avail yourself to this letter and find a conscience. A conscience that enables you to vote without regards to the influence peddlers, the special interest 'johns' that frequent your mahogany bordellos morning, noon, and night. A conscience that seeks to simplify government policy and administration should also be a broader initiative. All I see is the disruptive forces of chaos, complexity, and characterless posturing.
In closing, I am a pretty simple guy that believes in simple government. You know:
"form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty"
You have defaced this fairly simple phrase - Republicans and Democrats and many in between - to the point that its image is only a cold, distant reminder of what was intended by the people. You have ladled the lard of conscious corruption upon our Constitution for too long...too long.
Welfare is not meant to be the means by which corporations and those less learned and unwilling to work to take from the rest of us again and again.
Justice is not providing for opportunity because of difference but insisting that the difference is one's insatiable and ETHICAL pursuit of opportunity.
Common defence is meant for this land and the shores herein...not the sands of Iraq, not the mountains of Afghanistan, and not the fertile fields of Deutschland. Those are indeed sovereign nations. We need not meddle. That in turn leads us to mount a dedicated focus on domestic tranquility - less crime, higher education, and a nation inspired by an abundance mentality and not one deprived due to scarcity thinking.
The pursuit of liberty is endless. I am convinced of this. People will never truly be free unless we learn there are limitations. The respect for one another - on the road, in our schools, and in our workplaces - must be the ultimate sacrifice and does, indeed, limit our liberty. That, I guess, is why we have laws. For we, and you, cannot handle liberty. Mutual respect is a thing of the past. Until we cross that bridge - nay, gird that bridge - then no perfect union can be had.
Happy summer.
Sincerely,
Arp D. Trivedi
Cincinnati, OH
P.S. Thanks, little brother, for the inspiration.
It is so sad to see you go, even if it is for a month. I'm sure you will miss me as well. I'm sure you will miss my rantings and musings on your ill-gotten gains. I know you can't wait for me to submarine your zealous desire to continue to serve in a role designed to be largely volunteer in nature. I can appreciate that you will enjoy returning to my off colour comments about Czarina Pelosi and zie Fuhrer Johann Boehner. And let's not forget all my Facebook friends and sparring partners. I'm sure you will miss them and their lucid and insightful commentary on your hapless careers. So, while you enjoy luring your largely uneducated and ill-informed constituency through fear mongering and loathing of the other party into the abyss that is health care reform, energy renewal, and titillating stimulus, let me tell you what I will be doing.
First, I will be enjoying what remains of this summer with my family. You remember them right, your family and family values. I won't be committing adultery or hanging out with the pages during my time this summer. I mean, it sounds like fun, but...nah...not for me. Second, I will be working. I work as hard as the next guy and gal, and as I pointed out earlier, for $680,000 a day for 137 days per year, you folks "work" as well. During your month off, I'm sure the payola you receive from various interest groups, PACs, and foreign "dignitaries" will certainly keep you afloat. Third, I will be writing about you. That's right. For the next thirty days, I will write something every day to let people I care about know how important it is to keep your influence limited and to limit those that influence you.
Finally, I pray that when you return, you will avail yourself to this letter and find a conscience. A conscience that enables you to vote without regards to the influence peddlers, the special interest 'johns' that frequent your mahogany bordellos morning, noon, and night. A conscience that seeks to simplify government policy and administration should also be a broader initiative. All I see is the disruptive forces of chaos, complexity, and characterless posturing.
In closing, I am a pretty simple guy that believes in simple government. You know:
"form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty"
You have defaced this fairly simple phrase - Republicans and Democrats and many in between - to the point that its image is only a cold, distant reminder of what was intended by the people. You have ladled the lard of conscious corruption upon our Constitution for too long...too long.
Welfare is not meant to be the means by which corporations and those less learned and unwilling to work to take from the rest of us again and again.
Justice is not providing for opportunity because of difference but insisting that the difference is one's insatiable and ETHICAL pursuit of opportunity.
Common defence is meant for this land and the shores herein...not the sands of Iraq, not the mountains of Afghanistan, and not the fertile fields of Deutschland. Those are indeed sovereign nations. We need not meddle. That in turn leads us to mount a dedicated focus on domestic tranquility - less crime, higher education, and a nation inspired by an abundance mentality and not one deprived due to scarcity thinking.
The pursuit of liberty is endless. I am convinced of this. People will never truly be free unless we learn there are limitations. The respect for one another - on the road, in our schools, and in our workplaces - must be the ultimate sacrifice and does, indeed, limit our liberty. That, I guess, is why we have laws. For we, and you, cannot handle liberty. Mutual respect is a thing of the past. Until we cross that bridge - nay, gird that bridge - then no perfect union can be had.
Happy summer.
Sincerely,
Arp D. Trivedi
Cincinnati, OH
P.S. Thanks, little brother, for the inspiration.
