LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Return government to the people

OPINION:

We the American voters must work together if we are to see some of our more serious problems resolved. Those we have sent to Washington will not work together in our interest, so we must work together in our own interest. With an ever-growing debt of $20 trillion, we know spending is out of control. Yet our representatives just want to raise the debt limit. Before another budget is passed, we need a balanced budget law.

While our elected representatives are paid for a full year, they are actually in Washington only about a third of the time. The remainder of the year is often spent campaigning for re-election — on our dime. I was once opposed to term limits. I feared we would lose valuable experience, but that was 40 years ago. Now I believe that term limits may be our best (and perhaps only) chance to gain some control of our government.

Since the formation of the Department of Education, we have been systematically dumbing down our children. We graduate children who can’t read. We no longer teach them how to write. They do not know or understand how our government is structured. If they are even aware of the Constitution, they have no idea what’s in it. We need to return education to local school boards and state laws.

Our military is no place for social experimentation. I have no problem with gays serving, but those who are uncertain who or what they are don’t belong in military service, where they can be provided years of “corrective” surgery and therapy at taxpayer expense while contributing nothing in a foxhole.

I have written and emailed my members of Congress, asking them to make these few corrections in our federal government: a balanced budget law, term limits on elected federal offices, the return of our children’s education to the states and the return of control of our military to our military leaders. They ignore me, of course, but just maybe they would find it harder to ignore several million voters of all political persuasions. If you vote, if you care as I do about our country, please phone, write or email everyone in Washington you are able to reach.

C.D. STUBBS

St. Augustine, Fla.