The shutdown is a joke gone wrong

Karen+Larionova+looks+smug+in+front+of+an+American+flag.

Bella Beck

Karen Larionova looks smug in front of an American flag.

I can’t believe that shut down has lasted so long. I’m not sure how much longer it’ll last, but on the day of uploading this, the shutdown will be 32 days old. That’s insane.

Remember when the government was shut down last year due to DACA legislation? Just like in this case, an important issue was perverted to service President Donald Trump’s agenda.

This time, the wall is the topic of interest, which isn’t too far off from last time, but the stubbornness of everyone involved is what made this shutdown so much worse. Just so I make one thing clear, the 2016 Congress caused this shutdown, along with its overlord, Trump.

The 2018 Congress, though more Democratic and thus resentful of a conservative shutdown, had nothing to do with starting the shutdown. If you didn’t know, the shutdown started when Democrats wouldn’t fund the wall and Trump wouldn’t sign their temporary funding bill.

What are the effects now? I look back to the first shutdown and reminisce about the lack of worry about getting paid on time. The last shutdown only lasted two days, so government agencies had enough money saved up to pay employees, but this shutdown is something different.

Many government workers are already working without pay, and because they’re government workers, they have to show up to work. Think about TSA or other security. They have to work, but they aren’t getting paid.

My predictions for the shutdown are muddied this time. My senses are failing me, so I can’t confidently make a decision, but I’m hoping Trump ends the shutdown. The debate should be within Congress. With a Republican-majority Senate and Democrat-majority House, I think both sides can agree that our democratic system of government can do its job to properly fund border security.

The only advice I can offer on the matter is to do the usual: Call your representatives, educate people around you and in the next elections vote out anyone who annoys you.

That’s great advice, so let me restate it: In the next elections, vote out anyone who annoys you.