George Washington made it clear that creating political parties would “[destroy]… the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion,” and this reality has never been more evident than it is today. Feuding parties riddled with scandal have rocked the democratic sailboat to its core. The NSA spies on the American people, citizens quarrel over healthcare and abortion, and approval ratings are in a downfall. A recent survey discovered that 52% of Americans think the country’s best days are in the past. The country hasn’t lost its patriotic fire yet, but the waves seem to be surging closer and closer.
How do we solve this great American crisis?
Mark Bray might be the solution.
“What I want, a government that is responsive, efficient, and problem-solving, is exactly what everyone else wants. I am convinced the two parties are not the answer – maybe they never were.”
Bray, an independent with a background in aerospace engineering and a longtime admiration for Lincoln, is considering running for Congress in November of 2014. As the Representative for Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, he “vow[s] to serve everyone… not just a party or a special group.”
An independent? The most notable is Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the longest-serving independent in congressional history. How will Bray manage to get elected here in Alabama?
“Independent legislators would be effective agents of change,” claims Jamie Chandler in his recent article, “Independents Have a Shot.” Their presence in Congress “would bridge the divide between liberal Democrats and Tea Party Republicans,” and as the American people begin to lose their faith in the administration, a middleman doesn’t sound too bad.
After the recent government shutdown, people-press.org did a survey to determine the country’s trust in its government. The current number is 19%. Back when Eisenhower and Kennedy were in office, the percentage was much higher – around 73%. With time, however, that number has certainly dropped. Wouldn’t an independent solve this dilemma? If citizens are so discontent with the way Republicans and Democrats harshly split across party lines, delivering an independent, an arbiter of sorts, to Washington could slowly douse the fire and even the playing field.
“Trust in Congress is very low right now,” Bray observes. “I will go the extra mile to make sure the voters know every action I take as a congressman and the reasons behind those actions.” He promises to keep in touch through social media, and intends to visit his family in Huntsville as often as possible.
Without a change in our government, without some sort of catalyst, Chandler believes “we can expect more of the same: the government burning while Congress fiddles.” Mark Bray, one of our own here in Alabama, wants to be the one to start solving this, diving right in and supporting the American people.
“It is imperative that people of every generation and every demographic believe in America again,” he says. “We must believe we can come together to solve our problems and move our country forward again.”
