Monday, April 6, 2015

Republican Shame


image borrowed from fineartamerica.com


Republican Shame

“Huge sums for war, tax breaks for the rich, while wanting deep 
cuts to programs working people need--that is the Republican
budget plan.” --Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Dearest Republican Senators:

How do you pull it off? 
Targeting the rednecked, ill-educated, low-income
                     John Bircher, KKK, racist, & sexist citizens, 
                             who consistently support you at their own peril,
                     somehow you have wrested away control of the majority in 
             the U.S. Senate, continued to sugar-coat & spin the 
vast majority of facts that confront you, & have led the most 
shameful attack of a sitting President 
             in the entire history of our country.

You deny responsibility masterfully, 
as hard data is revealed concerning 
your misdeeds; facts like--

When Bill Clinton left office in 2001,
                America had a 230 billion dollar surplus.
                              After two terms, when George W. Bush left office
                        in 2009, this country was left with a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit. 
                  Continuing to point the blame at the Democrats,
          the Republicans, who had taken us into wars in Iraq
& Afghanistan, running up the cost to trillions of dollars,
          now, it seems, that in order to deal with this deficit,            
                    they want to slash Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
                                education & nutritional programs.

Nobody who works a 40-hour week,              should be living  below
                      the poverty line. In the last two years,
                      the 14 wealthiest Americans earned
                      a 157 billion dollar increase in their net worth,
                                         which exceeds the combined income 
                                         of the lowest 40% of our population.
              In addition another study revealed that
              the top 1%  earn more income than the bottom 50%;
              can you spell inequity?

Most of our highways & bridges
are in  terrible shape, crumbling, unsafe, ignored;
We spend more money on our military budget,        something like six
                     trillion dollars, more than 90% spent by all the other
              countries in the world combined, sending the cream
         of our youth to spill their blood in the Middle East.
Why in God’s name can’t we spend 1 trillion dollars
        on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, creating safer
        transportation & new jobs?

And what about our soaring costs for a college education,
creating student indebtedness that will take             decades to repay?
        While 25% of all large corporations in this country
                    pay no federal income tax at all, & another       
                                   50% receive huge Republican-created tax breaks.
                    Middle class youth cannot afford college.
         It is essential that corporations need to pay their fair share,
so that we can reduce educational costs
to the realm of affordable.

Even though I realize
that my complaints will go unheeded,
       my data will be discredited,
       my concerns will not be addressed, 
       my children & grandchildren’s future is in jeopardy, &
       my efforts to get your attention are fruitless, still
I feel better uttering these shameful facts,
rather than watching the disintegration
of democracy mutely, dispassionately, 
just enabling You to have your way with
this country without a fuss.

I remain ashamed of your greed, deceit, & apathy,
as I gird my loins for the 2016 presidential election.


Glenn Buttkus



Posted over at dVerse Poets Poetics

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21 comments:

Mary said...

Your points are well made, Glenn. I live in one of the states with a potential Republican Presidential candidate. When I see what he has done / is doing to this state with education and legislation, I cringe to think what his goals for the United States would be.

Victoria said...

Scathing indictment of politics as usual. Poetry can be a great means of expression for our frustrations.

Maude Lynn said...

Bravo! Bravo!

Gabriella said...

I could not agree more, Glenn! How sad that the Republicans have managed to make hard-working people think they have their own interests at heart when they only have big corporations in mind! It is hard sometimes to believe that Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower were Republicans too.

Abhra said...

I am not that familiar with the political landscape of your country - but your piece gave me a great detail to believe in your pain. Well composed Glenn.

Ginny Brannan said...

No argument from me. I work with the elderly who are dealing with proposed budget cuts from medicare and medicaid. A sad state our country is in, and don't get me started on the deficit after Bush! Thanks for sharing.

Wolfsrosebud said...

Hmmm... I wonder where you stand

lynn__ said...

Personally, I'm disillusioned with both major parties...

Anonymous said...

Amen! A letter that is filled with the same frustrations I feel, Glenn.

brenda w said...

Love! Bravo!!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Oh Glenn, I am with you on every word and feel the same outrage. It drives me CRAZY, the inequities of corporations paying no tax or getting breaks and bailouts while the working poor cant buy their kids shoes. I think Obama did a fantastic job, considering the Republicans refused to work with him and t8ied his hands.AND he never lost his dignity or integrity. My fear is Repubs will wrest power in the next election, and undo all the gains he made. And I dont know if I could live thru a third Bush administration. Any Repub administration will set us back light years. It impacts us in Canada as well. Good point if what was spent on wars went for infrastructure, it would make good sense. I love the way you wrote this, and was right there with you, every word and line.

Anonymous said...

strongly said.

Prajakta said...

I felt the power here. But I didn't understand much as I don't have a wide view of American politics. But it all seems the same here in India.

C.C. said...

It's too bad that the shame that should be felt over these things is not being felt by the people who should be feeling it :-( And, your points about the potential for where to re-direct finances to make a real difference really makes sense to me. But, then, there's the elephant in the room that needs to be dealt with first....

Marina Sofia said...

I'm not so familiar with American politics (of the local and national kind, at least, for the international dimensions can be felt by all of us), but with the elections coming up in the UK, I can tell you I echo your indignation and lack of comprehension.

Katie Mia Frederick said...

Ah.. the RockeFELLA' REPUBLICANS of the past dead and gone.. and Tea Party rising to take away the gifts of freedom.. and LIBERTY FOR ALL..

IN THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...

But.. IS as it and as it IS.. the popular party of the President thank goodness.. IS still the people.. overall..

Gridlock or not.. at least.. there is hope..:)

Dusty J said...

That's it, let 'em have it!!

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Sadly, things are similar in Australia.

Other Mary said...

Amen Glenn! Can I sign that too?

grapeling said...

A- bleeping- MEN, sir. Huzzah, huzzah. ~

Anonymous said...

The situation is not much better here in Canada. A shame that you have to be rich to get an education