singing something with hope

Now that the carols have all been sung, the candles snuffed out, the gifts unwrapped, the trees thrown on the front yard, the boys and girls of the Congress return to work. They rushed home to their families to share holiday cheer, and escaped any and all responsibilities to the people of America. We hardly heard the word “no” spoken by any of our Elected Officials.

I wonder if any of our “religious” oriented Elected Officials, gave any thought to how many people between December 25, 2009 and January 1, 2010, were still without sufficient, or even any health coverage. I wonder if during their holiday vacation, how many “religious” oriented Elected Officials, worried about the folks who had to make a choice between a Holiday dinner and paying for prescriptions. I wonder if during their self proclaimed deserved winter recess how many of our “religious” oriented Elected Officials paused for even a minute and considered the families who still had a parent oversees in one of the two official wars being fought, or sadly mourned the death of their loved ones never to return for any Holiday meal. And I wonder while they were snug and sound with their families how many “religious” oriented Elected Officials cared about the LGBT community seeking the sanctity of creating their own families only to be looked upon as intruders invading the Institution of Marriage.

Supposedly the Christmas Hanukah, Kwanza, New Year’s time is one for reflection and renewal. It is considered a time for family, friends and facing the future with hope and heart. Supposedly as said by the Sages and seekers of truth, this period of our calendar is wrapped in gifts not made for greed or gluttony but wrapped in gifts of knowledge, selflessness, and sincerity. It is a time for miracles, magic, sincerity and human kindness we are told.

So, I wonder, now that we have put the season of buy this, get that, you must have these have been put aside until next Halloween, what happens next? Do we go back to the same harangues, the same disputes, the same lack of consensus, and the lack of caring more about self than of others?

Do we once again hear how we can’t find resolve to America’s problems based on imaginary evidence but in reality only based on pure sick selfish bipartisanship? Do we forget that all the peace and goodwill to men being sung, sneezed, shouted to one another for the past two months, even happened? Do we once again start off where we left off, by having our Elected Officials stop any chance of change for the common good? Do we just move forward by retracing our steps either walking in place or running in reverse?

It is 2010 why continue embracing the rituals and riots of 2009? Can we move ahead for direction and only looking backward to make sure none of the bad is following us? Shouldn’t we want better?

Now that the tinsel and confetti has been swept into heaps of has been and all over shouldn’t we be creating piles of “yes”, “of course” and “why not”?

Now that the carols have been packed away until next year, why not sing something with hope?