Sequestration

 



There is angst from the President now for the impending sequestration required by law to take effect on March 1 this year.  Since the requirement is to cut over a trillion dollars from the already inflated overspending that has resulted in massive debt for the country, the cuts are now worrisome to the Administration.  Half the money will be slashed from domestic programs and the other half will be grabbed from the defense budget.  The Administration's Defense Secretary has warned the cuts will weaken the military and severely hamper America's capabilities to provide security. 

 

There has been ample warning for a long time about the problem with indiscriminate slashing of the federal monies from programs and military; all to no avail and lack of hearing from the politicians who seemingly only think about today as they put off tomorrow as a time that will never arrive.  But here we are, at the doorstep of a massive cut we are forced to do by a deal cut by the Administration at the last debt ceiling debate.

 

It sort of reminds me of "Aunt Juniper's" household belongings.  All the dainty things in place over the years, children warned not to touch the "what-knots" because they were breakable, and of course dearly loved by Aunt Juniper.  Through the years the possessions held a high place of honor in Aunt Juniper's house and everybody respected the established rules of keeping them "nice" for everyone to enjoy.

 

The day came, however, Aunt Juniper was no longer around and somehow the local "thrift shops" had "new stuff" on their shelves that looked remarkably like Aunt Juniper's treasured things.  It seemed the "next generation" had come along and found little or no value in the things that Aunt Juniper had thought so valuable.  So with shovel-like tossing from shelf to wheelbarrow, the things were relegated more as "junk" than heirlooms.  And so it goes with generational thinking where bygone memories of things of value are tossed to the street in favor of newer things thought important to the newest generation.

 

Perhaps the Administration should get used to the consequences, unintended or not, with the tossing of social programs and military powers by an indiscriminate sequestration of cutting.  After all, the new Administration's generational forecast was a promise for "hope and change" and a transformation for America.  Get used to it Mr. President, after all, it was your idea.

 

Jim Killebrew