Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?

Our government has been shut down.

Yes, our federal government has shut down, because they couldn't come to an agreement on the spending bill.

But really, is the answer that simple?  Of course not, nothing is ever that simple.  The answer goes deeper that that, and it comes back to our political parties.

George Washington is credited with saying that political parties would destroy the United States.  Perhaps he was right, because now we are so divided, we have shut down our government because neither party is getting its way.

Perhaps it's further than even that.  These people that our making of our legal decisions have to enact it's parties beliefs.  Otherwise, they don't get reelected.  Therefore, the Republican members cannot lot Obamacare be enacted, and the Democrats have to ensure that it does.  Whichever side fails faces the reality of not being reelected.

This shutdown has led to a landslide of funny memes, such as the ones posted above and below, but there have been serious consequences as well.  Rumors throughout Facebook are claiming things, such as the Amber Alert page being shutdown or the WIC and Food Stamp offices being shut down may or may not be true.  I can verify that people still got their Food Stamps on time, and WIC checks are still able to be used.  The Amber Alert page still seems to be intact, as well.  It's good to know these programs still carry on, despite the government shutdown, as many people rely on these services to feed their families or reclaim their missing children.

Maybe some good can come out of this shutdown.  Maybe the government can comeback, work out their differences, and focus on solving issues, rather than just bickering back and forth.

Maybe.  Then again, maybe not.

Maybe we can educate ourselves, and pick members of our government that plan to discuss the actual issues, and fix this nation.  Maybe we can select members that aren't so extreme that our Congress can't openly discuss and enact anything.  Maybe we start strengthening the other political parties that do in fact exist.  Maybe we need other voices in our government, to finally agree and discuss our policies and stop moving in on people's freedoms.

If you want someone to blame for all of the problems that exist in our government, you need only look in a mirror.  We voted them in, so it is in fact our fault.  But remember, that means they need us to reelect them.  Think on that.

-R