In my federal government class we had to write a paper over a topic, ^ that's the one I picked. My teacher is the top judge for the county that my college is located in. Here's my paper:
If ever there was a loaded question I’ve answered, this one would take the cake. It’s not the level of trust I have in the United States government, it’s who I trust in the government that’s the issue. I’ve followed the orders’ of my Commander and Chief for the past five years without question. I believe my senators and representatives have my best interests at heart (as long as I petition and vote). I may not agree with everything that’s passed in the legislatures, but if it’s a law passed I obey it because I’m a good citizen. It’s not whether or not we trust the government, it’s an issue of to what degree do we trust the government, and what branches we choose to place our trust in.
There are systems of government involved with every aspect of our lives; our schools have governments, the towns we live in, the state we call home and the country we live in. Without a government to control the meaningless things we take for granted we’d live in chaos and darkness. Through our daily actions we unknowingly rely on different departments and branches of the government to keep our little lives in order.
Having been a government employee, voluntarily that is, I understand a little more than others what our government is capable of. I’ve seen the underdog in a local village rise to control that village with US backing. I’ve watched grown men fall to their knees in fear of what government officials can do to them with the stroke of a pen. I have learned that although we may not see the big picture, the people we’ve put in office are trying to look out for their own interests…the people that put them there. I have faith in those leading our country; they have to protect the rights of those that elected them. Who I do not have any faith in is the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Through out my time in the US Army I was always told, “Keep every scrap of paper given to you if it has your name on it,” or, “Make a copy of everything you have, never give anyone the original.”The number of times I’ve submitted paperwork to the VA has left me at a point that I have no faith in them anymore. A branch set up by the President Herbert Hoover[i] was designed to care for the nation’s veterans of previous wars. Since then the VA has helped countless vets buy houses, claim service related disabilities and get college educations. Recently they have fallen short in their duties to those they serve. Some 16,000 employees are trying to process 290,000 [ii] claims under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Our country’s government has failed her finest citizens, her fighting men and women.
This past year has been a big year for service members ending their service. The government promised those of us that qualified education benefits. The lack of fore sight of those governmental officials is disgusting. That lack of fore sight leaves many of my brethren and me in a very hot seat; most of us have to “rob Peter to pay Paul” so to speak. Most of the vets I know have their school hours paid for, but it’s an issue of living expenses and allowances that were promised as a package deal to us that are causing problems. Many propose questions of, “How do I pay?” or, “What didn’t I do right?” Most realize that due to the shear amount of claims and the minimal amount of people processing those claims, some will be “lost in the mail” or buried under bureaucratic excuses. Although this is frustrating, it is a common problem. Common human error, misplaced paperwork, understaffed an over worked government offices have put a serious dent in my trust of the government’s appointed branches and their branch heads.
In conclusion, it’s hard to say that I don’t trust the Government of the United States, because our government does most things correctly. It provides protection for her citizens, guarantees our liberties, and provides the utilities we need on a day to day basis. I like most citizens forget these “little things” until they aren’t there anymore. I do trust the officials that I helped elect to keep my best interests in mind. I’m just not sure that they always go about those things in the best way.
[i] Created July 21, 1930 when Pres. Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5398
[ii] Associated Press reports that of the 290,000 claims, about 25,000 are in processing at this time
Good post! I think bureaucracies are inherently user-unfriendly by nature, and that turns a lot people off, re-directing their anger at the people in the system rather than the system itself.
ReplyDeleteOf course.....sometimes that anger is warranted when bureaucrats fail to do their jobs. I've always vented [and I know you can relate] that when I screwed up, somebody could get killed. When a bureaucratic minion screws up, it always seems that there's no consequence.
bro, I was poli sci major for awhile...being taught by a Chinese immigrant...she preached communism and socialism were perfect and bla bla bla.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we have some of the same views. Good post bro. I'll be perminatly following this.