Draining the Swamp
October 22, 2018
President Thomas Jefferson
Dear President Jefferson;
With the upcoming mid-term elections two weeks away, the divisiveness and animosity between the two political parties today is just getting worse and no end to this nonsense seems to be in sight. I am sure, President Jefferson, that you have seen this brewing for some time. Some would say it all began with the Presidential Election in 2000 when many Democrats felt that the election was stolen from them based on hanging chads, Mr. President don’t even ask. It led to many looking at President George W. Bush, the younger, as illegitimate, incompetent and everything possible was done to impede his work. By the way, your friend President Adams and his son are no longer the only father and son presidential team.
It continued with the election of President Barak Obama, our first African American president when the Republicans were determined to make him a “one term president” which didn’t quite work out for them. It continues today with President Donald Trump and it is wreaking havoc on our system which has worked all this time. I think the fact that President Trump who is not a career politician, which shows at times, wants to clean out the hypocrisy of Washington. This upsets those who are lifers in Washington which led to President Trump’s slogan “Drain the Swamp,” which struck a chord with voters. But I found this far from a new idea, you expressed it in a much more eloquent way:
When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.
The corruption begins with big money which both sides are guilty of accepting. Billionaires like the Koch Brothers fund one side while George Soros funds the other. Big money is something President Jefferson that you are not aware of since you were broke after your service to our country when you returned home to Monticello.
The politicians themselves corrupt the system. Former Senate Majority leader Harry Reed changed the rules of the Senate when he basically did away with the filibuster and only required a simple majority on most issues. The system had been working fine for over 200 years. The filibuster in a way limited the power of the majority and allowed for debate and compromise. With no debate and compromise necessary, politicians have turned into mindless lemmings and now only know their own party line. Minds are made up and decisions are made with no one listening to the facts and they just follow the will of their leaders and not those of their constituents. This is just a small sampling of growing corruption and evil which is affecting the Republic. I believe it is time to restore our lost principles.
President Jefferson, I think what you are telling us is to take a good look and listen to our representatives. The best way to remove the corruption and restore the lost principles is not by politicians talking of impeachment and committee hearings on one scandal or another, but by exercising our most sacred right as citizens and that is to vote. I mean not just by voting along party lines but by casting an educated and informed vote. Listening to all sides of an issue and forming one’s own opinion and then voting accordingly. The bottom line is we need to better educate ourselves in making our own decisions and when necessary rid ourselves of the “growing evil.” Maybe this mid-term election is a good time to start to clean house and have “We the People” exercise term limits the way it was intended by you and the Founders to be, with our vote!
President Jefferson, this is where we presently stand, and I hope the electorate finally comes to realize it and moves forward. Once again, you and the other Founding Fathers have shown a foresight that cannot be matched today by any of our representatives in Washington, D.C.
Yours Truly,
Andrew J. DeMarco
Pen Pals from the Past 