Is Congress listening to the people?

By Brian W. Grogan

Is Congress listening to the people? The British didn’t during the 1770s.

Under the Stamp Act (1765) and Townsend Act (1767), the British government attempted to impose taxes on the American colonies. The colonies refused to pay the levies claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a government in which they had no representation.

In response to the colonies' position, the King and Parliament, rather than wisely granting representation, choose instead to enact a back room deal which eliminated the taxes but imposed a duty on tea (a hidden tax). By refusing to acknowledge the American people’s fundamental right to representation, the British government encouraged our country’s act of defiance (The Boston Tea Party) and the eventual war of independence that was first started and fought in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Ironically, there are similar feelings occurring today and again it is the citizens of Massachusetts sending the signal to our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. Will our leaders in Washington acknowledge our sentiment or will they act like Britain’s arrogant leaders of 1774?

Recent polls and the election results in Massachusetts clearly show people are upset with the failure of our elected leaders to represent the American people. We sense the elected elite craving power over us rather than serving us.

We are a nation of people who want elected officials of moral character and truthfulness and who will listen and serve the people. We want minimum government interference and the freedom to pursue endeavors that offer personal and financial rewards.

We believe our economic system is the best at rewarding hard work and the opportunity to succeed regardless of background, race, religion and education. We want a government that provides the framework to succeed by putting the strength of our nation with the people not the government.

Many Americans today do not believe our elected leaders stand for these fundamental rights. Thank you, citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for once again sending a clear message to our elected leaders.

Are you listening, leaders?

Brian Grogan, Minnetonka, Minn., is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 43B.