U.S. Marines talk with pride about the espirit de corps that exists withinĀ their ranks.
Roughly translated, it means “spirit of the group.”
The U.S. Congress used to operate under that mantra when natural disaster struck. If one part of the country falls victim to Mother Nature’s wrath, the entire legislative body rallies to the aid of their fellow Americans.
Those days are gone. I hope not forever, though.
The Louisiana floods show us this latest phenomenon at work.
The Los Angeles Times reports that three Louisiana congressmen, all Republicans, now are pleading for federal assistance to helpĀ their fellow Louisianans. What makes the story interesting is that they opposed similar requests for New Jersey after that state was clobbered in the fall of 2012 by Superstorm Sandy.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-louisiana-floods-20160822-snap-story.html
Do you remember when Joplin, Mo., got flattened by the tornado in 2011? Calls went out to help that city, too. Then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, RepublicanĀ of Virginia, though, dug in his heels and insisted that Congress find a way to offset the expense by cutting money in other areas.
There once was a time in this country when Americans pulled together. We rooted for each other, prayed for each other — all while supporting efforts to lend tangible assistance. We didn’t put provisos on these requests. We just stepped up and offered a hand up to those in dire distress.
I know money is tight. I also know that the political climate in Washington has become toxic in the extreme.
That toxicity too often reveals itself when politicians argue over which congressional district deserves money in times of tragedy — and which of them do not.
It makes me ask: Are we truly an exceptional nation that rises to the needs of all its citizens, or are we governed by a group of petty politicians who look out only for those who elect them to public office?
I feel the need to remind the politicians who work on Capitol Hill: You signed on to serve the federal government and that means you serve all Americans.