Some Thoughts on the State of Our Union
By Gaylon Kent
Libertarian For Congress

President Donald Trump – President Donald Trump! – will deliver the State of the Union address in the House of Representatives chamber at the United States Capitol tonight. Though you no doubt know this, some are always surprised to find out this is mandated by the Constitution with Article II, Section 3 stating, in part, that the president:

…shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

Trump being Trump, he could sound downright presidential, which he’s capable of, or he could come off as a complete freakazoid. He will probably be a bit of both and his State of the Union address will no doubt end up sounding like a campaign speech, something his inaugural ended up being even though he won the election.

Let’s take a look at the state of our American Union right now. There’s both good and bad.

The economic numbers aren’t too shabby, frankly. Wall Street is flourishing and the unemployment rate is a bit less than five percent but boy, anybody who has had to pound the street looking for work the past few years knows it’s tough to make a go of it. Employers figured out how to make a profit in tough times during the Great Recession and HR departments are still acting like it’s 2009.

This really isn’t an indictment. One of the functions of businesses in a free market is adapting. It’s what American business has been doing since the Pilgrims first traded with the Indians. American workers, spurred on by the disappearance of the once-proud private-sector American union, are currently content to take what employers choose to offer. You can’t blame employers for that. 

But there are aspects of our American Union that are troubling, elements that if not checked will destroy our country, probably before this half-century is out.

One, we are coming up on three decades of non-stop warfare and President Trump is not stopping this. The American military presence in both Afghanistan and Syria has increased and President Trump – correctly, really, – doesn’t fret too much over the details but he has given area commanders greater authority to take offensive action.

A truly flourishing economy anchored in low taxes is not forthcoming, either. The GOP tax plan does nothing to either simplify our tax code or stop the government from taking too much of our money.

There are other things, too. American society, like it’s government, is a partisan, fractured and bickering mess. Gunfire is now our primary form of social interaction. Americans are so thrilled with their lives we are drugging ourselves to death in record numbers. In the 12-month period beginning in July, 2016 and ending in June 2017 nearly 67,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, a 16-percent increase.

Friends, we have a partisan, fractured and bickering government because you and me – we the people – continue to tolerate it every Election Day. The time has come for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District to show our state and our nation that we are demanding better this Election Day. The time has come to toss aside the status quo. 

I ‘m Gaylon Kent, and I ‘ll lead the charge.

Cordially,
Gaylon