Americans Losing Faith in Leadership

A recently released poll revealed that Americans have more faith in their military than in their elected leaders.

We know why; in fact, anyone who lives around and interacts daily with military personnel can understand from where that trust comes.

The poll, conducted the Associated Press in partnership with the National Constitution Center, says that the majority of Americans — 63 percent — believe the government, including the armed forces, is doing a good job of maintaining the nation's safety and security. Of those polled, 53 percent have deep confidence in the military.

That's a horse of a much different color from the turbulent years of Vietnam, when returning troops were treated more like criminals than human beings doing a very important job.

The poll also says that almost seven in 10 respondents said they were volunteering, which indicates that even in the depths of a recession and high joblessness, Americans are looking for ways to make their communities better. That's another sign of hope for those anxious to see this country get back on its feet. And while some government agencies and employees are finding that the preponderance of Americans believes they're doing good jobs, Congress and the Executive branches — not so much.

It's hard to feel bad for the boys and girls who actually make the laws.

Although there are, no doubt, some good and principled members of Congress, mostly what the people who elect them see is a pass-the-buck mentality. The jobs bill, which President Obama recently sent to the Hill, falls into that category, with lots of spending that does little but exacerbate the federal deficit and plunge the country deeper into debt.

And, oh yeah — most of the so-called jobs that are supposed to be created happen to target states where unions reign supreme. Right-to-work states won't see much come their way.

Congress and the president need to take a good, hard look at what Americans are trying to tell them: They want fiscal responsibility, fair and simplified taxation, an end to excessive government bureaucracy, and an emphasis on self-reliance and responsibility.

This country needs to return to the type of government that made us so great in the first place and start doing so now. Otherwise, come November 2012, a lot of fat cats in the Washington, D.C., area are going to hear the people who sent them there in the first place saying, "Don't let the door hit you on your way out."

REPRINTED FROM THE JACKSONVILLE (NC) DAILY NEWS

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