Even a dead clock is on-time twice a day
OPINION by Steve Sprague, Bath NY
Before you read, please look at this photo for five seconds. … Did you see the hands move? In reality, those hands now move at exactly the same pace as this Congress has moved since early last year.
Yes, it’s a real clock from the U.S Capitol (gift shop and not paid for with taxpayer money). It was given to me when I left Capitol Hill after more than 12 years with three different members of the House of Representatives. That was in 1988.
My complaint today is that the clock is a daily reminder that there’s a problem back where it came from. The clock stopped working months ago. So did Congress.
I did my part for 38 years by changing batteries. But now, nothing. New batteries; careful cleaning of the contacts; gratuitous shining and soothing words haven’t made the hands move for quite a while. I’ve finally concluded it will only work right if I take it apart and replace the faulty parts with new ones. Same with Congress.
Like the clock, there are big parts (the majority party) and little parts (the minority party) in Congress. And, like the clock, the big parts routinely overpower the smaller parts. The result is bad times. In both. Literally.
By coincidence, even my dead clock is perfectly on-time twice every day. Even faulty things can have a “midterm” moment when they remind us how much better it was when they worked right. It’s also a reminder they can and should be fixed.
I’ve scheduled repair efforts for Tuesday, November 3. I’ll order replacement parts for the clock and I’ll go the polls in hopes that my vote for a replacement part in our 23rd Congressional District can help make that work, too. I want both to serve their intended purposes. I still remember being there when it worked they way it should.
I know my clock can be fixed. I know Congress can be fixed. Both were created by craftsmen far smarter than me. With the right new parts, Congress can help relieve the weight of high prices, costly wars and obscenely misguided policies. And I can again enjoy a valued memento of better days more than twice in every 24 hours.
I urge you to join me that day in making things work better.
