by Meg Ellefson

I grew up listening to my dad’s Kingston Trio record albums. One of the songs they covered was the 1961 Pete Seeger tune: “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”

I heard that melancholy song the other day and it inspired me to think about how it would be rewritten today based on current events. The title would likely be “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?”

What has happened to our great country? Why have artificial charisma, baseless rhetoric and empty promises from our elected leaders become acceptable to Americans? When will they ever learn?

How did a healthcare bill get passed when it was overwhelmingly opposed by the majority of Americans and wasn’t read by the majority of Congress? The $938- billion bill was passed through backroom deals, legislative maneuvering and political arm-twisting, executed at stunning, unprecedented levels. This heavy-handed, unconstitutional expansion of government into the private lives of Americans has paved the way for even more oppressive attacks on our faith, families and freedom. When will they ever learn?

Why does the president of the United States continue to chastise Americans who disagree with his ideas and policies that are leading us to an even bigger government? In a recent speech, Obama warned that today’s political discourse can “send signals to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response.” When will he ever learn? Instead of dealing with the legitimate reasons why, according to a recent Pew Research poll, 80% of Americans now deeply distrust our federal government, Obama once again launched an attack against the people of the United States! When will he ever learn?

Why is the president so concerned with his popularity outside of the United States but has no regard for the will of the majority of people in his own country? In a speech he gave last month, Obama boasted of his willingness to do the unpopular. He said: “If you govern by pundit and polls, then you lose sight of why you got into public service in the first place.” Despite the overwhelming opposition by the majority of Americans, Obama will persist with his agenda. When will he ever learn?

The “cap and trade” bill, immigration reform, a value-added tax to narrow the budget deficit, and Senator Chris Dodd’s financial reform bill (now on the Senate floor) are all unpopular in one way or another. But Obama and the Democrats are determined to pass them anyway. When will they ever learn?

Over the past year, millions of Americans have participated in tea parties all over the country to express their opposition to our politicians’ reckless and irresponsible spending, disregard for the Constitution, and a massive government takeover of every aspect of our lives. Despite the substantial amount of support and significant number of people attending tea party demonstrations across America, the politicians in Washington repeat their disrespectful and inaccurate talking points and the president cannot hide his contempt for the ordinary, libertyloving middle-Americans exercising their freedom of speech and the mainstream media continue to spin their false narratives. When will they ever learn?

November 2010.