DRAIN THE SWAMP? SERIOUSLY?

You may be one of those who take offense at this phrase.  Maybe because it sounds so callous, or because it seems to stereotype certain groups of people. If those assumptions about the term & those who agree with it are correct, you might be right to dislike it.

But I’ve been considering this & have come up with some thoughts about why you may be wise to think twice about taking offense.

What if, just because the choice of words is distasteful to you, you don’t really understand what it means to others? What if it reflects, albeit crudely, a sentiment that is based on legitimate concerns about the relationship between the governed & the government?

Think about a swamp with me. What is it? What is the emotional, visceral reaction of most people at the prospect of walking thru a hot, muddy, bog that is infested with unknown poisonous insects & potentially harmful reptiles? It’s the stuff of nightmares. It’s an abundant source of subjects for horror movies.

Why?

It’s because most of us don’t really belong in the swamp. We feel threatened & even helpless there. We wish we were almost anywhere else in the world. We want someone to help us get away.

Can you see the picture? 

Many Americans have for some time felt alienated from their government, at least at the Federal level. They have sometimes felt threatened by its faceless, capricious, sometimes heavy-handed way of dealing with them. They haven’t known what to expect, how to insure their safety from something that has become huge, unfeeling, & menacing. They have felt that, rather than government serving the people, the tables have somehow been turned.

One way of describing their perception is that they are in a swamp. Or maybe the swamp has come & invaded their world. And now they desperately want to be free of it. They want nothing more than to be left alone to raise their families, do their work, worship God, & just live their lives in peace & without fear.

And they want Big Brother to mind his own business & not interfere with theirs.

Drain the swamp? Seriously?

You bet!