TO THE EDITOR:
Mere hours after the U.S. Congress permitted the federal government to shut down, dozens of veterans were denied entrance to the World War II Memorial, until Reps. Bachmann and Gohmert stormed the metal barriers. As a national park ranger, I find this unacceptable.
In a letter to President Obama, Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., wrote that if the memorial were closed, “It would truly be devastating to our veterans that travel great lengths to share this experience.”
I wonder how devastating it is for the 330 Washington, D.C. park rangers who woke up this morning without a job.
I wonder how devastating it is for the 800,000 federal employees who will go without pay on the grounds of a conservative principle that the national electorate refuted in 2008, Congress refuted in 2010 with passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court refuted in 2012 and the electorate again refuted in 2012.
I wonder how devastating it is to the unification of congressional Republicans when their own Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, says, “In light of that, let’s leave Obamacare for another day and not hold hostage the vast majority of government functions.”
Throughout American democracy, there have been those who succeed and fail, but a fundamental part of democracy is accepting defeat, which some in Congress refuse to do.
But why should I complain? I’m simply enjoying my time off until our politicians decide they’re in office to be lawmakers and run a country, not be park rangers and placate its political bases.
David Culclasure ’14
Classics
History
