As I begin this blog, I realize several things. First, I am late to the game. People have been blogging for years; sharing details of their lives and thoughts to friends and strangers around the world. In reality, I'm not sure anyone will read this, but if they do I hope to share the fascination with politics and policy. I don't expect every reader to agree with me, and I don't expect to agree with every commenter. I do expect to learn and take a meager step towards a civil dialog of ideas.
As a country, we are facing amazing challenges. Our economy is slowly crawling out of recession while millions of Americans continue to look for work. Our federal debt grows at an ever increasing pace, and state and local governments are being forced to cut billions in programs in order to balance their budgets. The oil continues to gush into the Gulf, and continues to wash up on our shores. The summer temperatures are growing warmer and our waters are growing more polluted. We are fighting two wars while other countries, like North Korea and Iran, continue to push their regions to the brink of war.
Despite these many issues, our leaders seem more concerned about political posturing than solving problems. While there are smart, dedicated people who have devoted their lives to address these and the many other problems we face, there are millions of Americans who turn a blind eye to the struggles around them.
When this country was created, we chose to stand together to oppose those who oppressed. We chose to join together to find new solutions, to begin a new experiment in government. A government for and by the people. A government where the ideas come from the people. Which is why I am here today, to share ideas and to hear ideas. Will you join me? Together was can create A More Perfect Union.
