Dear American Politician,

Today I come to you seeking your assistance. You’re supposed to be there to help us Americans out, right? To actually make things better, right?

I don’t know what you were doing before you went to Washington, but I can tell you there are a lot of good folks out here busting their rear ends trying to just keep things together for their families. They are hard working, solid people who just want to be treated fairly and have a legit chance to succeed.

And every day all of that gets harder because of you. Yes, YOU.

Is it too much to ask for those of you who really give a rip about America to sit down together and work on finding some answers that will work for all of us? And when I say ‘those of you’, that means not just from one side?

Everyone ‘out here’ (meaning not in DC) knows fully well that none of you have all of the correct answers — never have, never will. Same goes for the parties you bow down to. Neither side is exclusively correct, just as neither side is exclusively wrong.

If you’re married you already know that.

I’ve been married for almost 40 years, and I can tell you without hesitation that my wife and I haven’t agreed on every single thing we’ve encountered along the way. But you know what we did? We sat down together, communicated honestly, found a working answer that wasn’t a complete compromise by either of us, and then stood by it and each other after.

You see, we did that because we know that’s what’s best for us and our family. We put our selfish interests aside in the interest of finding a solution that was best for everyone involved. God knows I’d hate to be married to you if you can’t see the value in being able to work together to find answers.

Is that too much to ask of you? Or are all of you simply too far gone and in the pockets of the special interest groups that own you and your parties to be able to even try?

“But but but” you say, “our parties just won’t allow that to happen!”

My simple question to you would be why not? Why would either party be in any way afraid of seeking answers that were best for the nation as a whole instead of only the parties themselves, even if it means having to — heaven forbid — work with each other?

Would that be perceived as some kind of weakness? Seriously?

Have your parties become more important than the nation they — and you — are supposed to be serving (remember, that’s the way the arrangement is supposed to be aligned)? Think long and hard before you answer that, even though you shouldn’t have to, though the fact you might should speak for itself.

And don’t tell me “well, THEY are wrong”, meaning anyone who doesn’t think like you. Guess what? Nobody on this planet has ever been exclusively right. Ever. Including you.

That’s why our nation has prospered the most when leaders – real leaders, mind you – made an honest and sincere effort to open lines of discussion with people who in fact didn’t think like them.

Ever hear of Republican Ronald Reagan’s relationship with Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal? Or how Democrat Bill Clinton worked closely with Republicans during his presidency? Maybe you should look those up and learn something in the process. It’s high time we got back to those kinds of working relationships.

But can you? If not, why not?

Be big enough to admit perhaps you don’t have all of the answers and that those folks on the other side of things may bring something of real value to the discussion, and watch the vitriol that is eating away at the soul of our nation suddenly start evaporating.

And, do you need to be reminded that you were primarily elected to defend the Constitution of the United States? Not just some of you, ALL of you. That doesn’t mean you get to selectively choose which parts of that Constitution you may or may not like depending on what is popular at the moment or who is padding your pocket.

Sometimes I think too many of you have forgotten that simple fact.

Here’s the bottom line: you have been handed the most brilliant blueprint for a system of government in the history of the known universe. Respect the past and you’ll find how to build a better future. History has proven again and again that when all oars are in the water rowing together America is a literal juggernaut.

But when the very men and women who are supposed to be navigating things are rowing against each other, the result is evident. The system given to you in that blueprint cannot function in that arrangement, and that is where we find ourselves today.

It would appear to be simple common sense that we cannot continue on this path. Then again, maybe a lack of common sense is the real root of the issue. As a wise man once told me, “you aren’t grown up until you know how to communicate, apologize, listen, be truthful, and accept responsibility without blaming anyone else.”

Figure it out, or please, if you just won’t or can’t, every decent, hard working American who simply wants to have a fair shot at pursuing life, liberty, and happiness has a simple request:

Get your rear end out of our boat.