I hope I am wrong, but the fabric of American society as I knew it growing up seems to be crashing down around me.
Everywhere I turn I see or hear distressing and depressing stories. Most of them either involve or evolve from all levels of government and the arrogance, abuse or misuse of power by the elected or those appointed to office.
Also, there is a lack of daring in those who might have the potential power to stop the abuses to take even limited curative actions for fear of getting a negative label or lose popularity with small, noisy pressure groups.
It is easy to give particulars of my problems by starting on the federal level.
Just ask why an American ambassador and three other Americans were allowed to die on September 11, 2012 in an unguarded embassy building in Benghazi, Libya. Their safety and rescue were totally mishandled by unskilled political appointees in Washington, D.C., who knew in advance that trouble was approaching, that assistance was available but took no action.
They were led by a screeching secretary of state who had the nerve to say “What does it matter?” when asked who caused the sad event.
It matters since there has been a complete failure of justice for the dead.
On the domestic front just try to believe that very senior Internal Revenue and Treasury Department officials did not know that mid level IRS workers in Cincinnati were targeting conservative groups who were seeking tax exempt status or that the attorney general did not know that unconstitutional searches of the records of reporters and conservative news networks were being conducted.
And, there is always the case of the “insane” Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 30 others at Fort Hood while screaming an Arabic battle cry.
He has received medical care for his wounds and $278,000.00 in pay while awaiting trial.
The people he killed and wounded have been denied being awarded the “Purple Heart.” And, those he wounded have been discharged and denied military benefits and medical care because the event has been cowardly and improperly classified as “workplace violence,” a civilian act, rather than what it really was a terrorist military attack.
And we have lots to look for in 2014. The new year will ring in the full meaning of “Obamacare” with consequences beyond just health care. It is projected that the nation’s overall economy will stagnate and might collapse under its weight. Even unions, who were among its greatest advocates are denouncing it. The craziest thought of all is that Obamacare will be administered by the IRS, but let’s hope not by the Cincinnati office.
Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate do not have to worry too much about Obamacare and their medical care. They have cleverly legislated themselves to be exempt from it.
If you get a chance to question them at a meeting, ask them about that very sensitive, self interest issue. Nancy Pelosi probably still doesn’t know what is in the law. It is not just on the federal level where abuses flourish.
Just go up the Hudson River to Albany and you find a world of chutzpah.
The most recent one involves the piggy and misplaced “hands on” acts of former state Assemblyman Vito Lopez with female members of his staff. Lopez was bad, but what is possibly worse is the illegal $100,000.00 plus payoff structured by longtime Assembly leader Sheldon Silver to cover Lopez’ misdeeds.
I don’t recall anywhere in the oath of office taken by members of the Assembly that they were to treat it as their “playground” and when they get caught Sheldon Silver would structure a settlement with taxpayers money with no oversight. As for Lopez with his misdeeds exposed he resigned from the Assembly but now wants to run for the New York City Council.
Just think if Lopez and former congressman Weiner are both elected to New York City offices. The women of New York will have to be careful. They should take the advice of Ann Rychlenski, in a short article in the Daily News of May 20, 2013, where she recommends a knee in the groin and a slap in the face for male aggressors.
Silver has said he is sorry, asks to be forgiven, promises a not to do it again and he will put laws in place to assure it can’t. He should have done that 10 years ago.
But, if he really wants to be forgiven, he should refund the taxpayers’ money with his own and then resign.
His resignation was urged by Joye Brown of Newday on May 24, 2013. That way he can be forgiven, but will also be powerless. When I began writing this article I was depressed because of the lack of some bold leaders who might cure our society’s ills.
But, now I am hopeful and my faith is somewhat restored because of my research.
I found two people who show great promise for our future and I am sure there are others.
My mistake, and forgive me for it because of my age and the era I grew up in, I limited my early research to men. That was shortsighted and wrong.
I have found that there a lots of sharp, intelligent women “out there” like Brown and Rychlenski.
They should be given the chances to pull us back to what the country should be.
Alan J. Reardon
Williston Park
