Thus, like any curious American would do, I signed up without any real, tangible understanding of what it was. I figured, worst case, nothing would come of it and I would be as lost to it’s purpose as I originally was; best case: I’d get an inside viewpoint of the program, and all of its inner workings. Six months after that late night decision, I am now a proud VISTA member, embarking on my first year of service to a small postindustrial city in middle Ohio.

This past week was what they refer to as our Pre-Service Orientation or PSO. We attended this four day training in Philadelphia, PA (aka: the birthplace of Freedom). It was, in many ways, the same kind of role-play heavy, reiteration of earlier required reading, pride-pushing event you’d expect it to be. On the other hand though – and partially due to the very appropriate location – it was much more than just a traditional training camp.

Most of the pride and education came after-hours, walking the city with my new VISTA family. Learning about what makes them individually passionate about service, all while literally standing on Freedom’s doorstep, and wandering around the streets where the concept of individual Liberty was established behind closed doors and in small pubs. It was the most inspiring and American adventure one could ever hope to embark upon.

Talking about what makes this country so great, while at the same time discussing its current flaws in a proactive manner, was nothing short of amazing. It was impossible not to feel pride in ourselves, our mission, and our country as a whole. I left Philly feeling more energized and certainly more patriotic than ever before. For that I thank the VISTA program, the city of Philadelphia, and – most importantly – the individual members who showed me that there is a great big group of intelligent, like-minded people who still believe in Liberty, Freedom, and Justice for All.

You can’t expect inexperienced individuals to make sound political decisions. They told you they were going to “take us back to the good ol’ days”, and that’s what got them elected. Except we don’t actually want those days, we just want to think we do.

We like, nay LOVE help. We ask for it constantly at local, state, regional, and federal levels. We benefit from the safety net of Unionization, the cushy traditions of Tenure, and the sweet embrace of personal unaccountability. And please don’t misread me: I’m actually fine with that…to a degree.

But that’s not really the overarching point here…

I support the idea of Unions, but I also support the notion that they need to be more compromising. They are the gatekeepers to job security in this country, and their unwavering, and often unreasonable demands are undeniably a major factor in outsourcing. I don’t blame the Union members, but I do blame the system.

Now, politicians aren’t free of the blame here. Obviously. Attacking Unions on the sole grounds that they don’t want to deal with certain elements of the process is simply cowardice in its saddest form. Budget cuts are one thing; dismembering the ability to fairly discuss benefits, pensions, and wages is another.

Instead of the “All or Nothing” scenario being played out in cities across the country, why can’t we propose a sincere compromise? Collective Bargaining isn’t the real problem; miscommunication is the problem. When the country takes a hit, Unions can’t expect to get the same results they would in a Bull Market. It’s just not reasonable. On the flip side, politicians need to remember that these hardworking Americans rely on these benefits, pensions, and wages to support themselves and their families – of course they are going to fight for the best possible outcome; so would you.

Why not push SB 5 aside, and host a civil discussion about the future? Worst case: neither side concedes its positions and we’re back to where we started. But the best case has us reexamining our checks and balances against a more realistic backdrop, and coming up with a comprehensive plan of action for the years ahead.

While I’ve erred on the side of the Democratic party, I’ve never been comfortable leaning completely Left, but damn if the Right aren’t making it impossible to side with them on much of anything anymore. On top of a laundry list of reasons, their new “threats” towards public broadcasting, safe sex organizations, and the embodiment of all that is America’s social conscience have created a blood curdling anger inside of me that I can’t quite alleviate despite my best efforts.

You might count me amongst the few, but I regularly watch PBS programming; enjoy NPR on a daily basis; benefit from the affordability of Planned Parenthood’s contraceptives; and have witnessed first hand the value of the AmeriCorps domestic programs and initiatives. That’s correct: I benefit, directly, from all four organizations that are in question of receiving the funding they rely on to continue operating. I think it’s probably a safe bet that most of you derive a benefit or pleasure from at least one of them.

So that begs the question: why cut funding from working programs and initiatives? We already play in a land of Make Believe with money in this country, and I can’t see the value-added to “dropping” support for these resources. On top of that, I’m more than confident that there are plenty of programs and initiatives that aren’t worth their salt, who are going to skate through this violent slashing of public funding – only to cost us future tax dollars and add to our near-comically large deficit.

I don’t have a point here. I’m simply outraged by the lack of research, consideration, and intelligence demonstrated by our newly elected House and Senate. I agree we could trim the budget, but public resources like the ones under the gun should hardly be the starting point.