I Have an Idea Let’s Grant Washington D.C. Statehood and Evict Our Government

All Americans Have a Right to Representation in Washington

The people of Washington D.C. have only token representation in our government. They have applied for statehood several times, and continue to be denied their Constitutional rights.

The population of D.C. is greater than those of Vermont and Wyoming. More than 720,000 Americans have no voice in their future.

Our Government is Just Taking up Space on Valuable Real Estate

I have an idea. Our government in Washington consists of 545 men and women and their staff. They have proven themselves incompetent and their failures made our government dysfunctional. I believe that the people of D.C. should be given their wish of statehood, and then our government should be evicted. We don’t need them, they need us. They can build new buildings in the many miles of open land in the Midwest with their own money. They’ve wasted ours for far too long.

Okay, that was fun, but let’s get serious.

What Republicans Fear

Our government no longer serves all 331 million Americans. It exists to serve itself and its special interests. Giving D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood would tip the balance on Capitol Hill for many years to come. This is the only true reason why Republicans oppose adding two states to our Union.

76 percent of all D.C. residents are registered, as Democrats. The majority of the population of Puerto Rico is Hispanic and would lean towards Democratic representation. This would place four additional men and women in the Senate whose votes would likely be for progressive measures. This is the only concern for right-wing politicians: people don’t matter to them. Power is more important to them than the welfare of tens of thousands of Americans.

Washington is a Mess and Changes are a Must

Several reforms in Washington are necessary if our government is to function once again. Politics have always been a problem, However, in the 21st century, our leaders in Washington have moved so far to the right the Constitution is violated every day. The ideals of fascism have replaced democracy and therefore many of the rights and guarantees promised by our Founding Fathers. We, the people, can no longer allow 545 individuals to control our daily lives.

America was Created for the People

This country was created for the people, not to supply jobs for old, white men and a few women. Term limits for all three branches of government and forcing them to work more than 100 days a year. All while restricting the campaign season to three months instead of two years would instantly change the way Washington works.

It makes no sense that term limits are restricted to the executive branch. The legislative and judicial branches are a disaster and no longer function as intended. A large part of the reason for this failure is the fact that a large number of the members of the House and Senate have spent decades in Washington, amassing power and becoming rich.

A Huge Mistake Made Back in 1789

Lifetime appointments for justices on the Supreme Court have proven to be a huge mistake. Three of the six sexists who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade have damaged the Court for many years. Clarence Thomas was confirmed in 1991, Samuel Alito in 2006, and Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005. The other three were nominated by Trump and confirmed by Moscow Mitch McConnell’s Senate. Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020, just weeks prior to the election. None of the three were qualified. They had promised to overturn a woman’s right to decide the physical and mental health of her own body. We are stuck with them until they choose to retire, or die in office.

The previous facts make me wonder why the citizens of the District of Columbia, or a majority of the citizens of Puerto Rico would want to be members of the United States of America.

By The Wise Old Fart, (James Turnage)

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Sources:

DC History Center: The Case for Statehood
Truthout: Poll: Plurality of Americans Would Support DC Statehood If Backed by Residents

Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Cassandra Turner‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License