DEAR EDITOR:

The federal government shut-down is now a fact.

It is time for all of us to sacrifice and come to the aid of our country.

We can join our fellow citizens in Congress, the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, as well as the president, as we sacrifice together: our jobs, the inability to visit national parks, non-essential governmental services, a reduction-in-force, government contractors are not guaranteed back-pay, active military personnel work without pay, a slow-down in Social Security claims processing, the Small Business Administration stops approving loans to small businesses and no paychecks for government employees.

Air traffic controllers, TSA employees, and border patrol agents are required to work without pay during the shutdown. Prudence insists that we should not upset these three groups of essential workers!

WAIT … JUST IN!!!

The Democrats, Republicans and Independents in Congress, as well as the president, will continue to be paid.

Must be a typo … “fake news” … we are all in this together … right?

Checking AI … nope … our brave congressional leaders and the president still get paid!

Well, maybe they should … millionaires and billionaires must not be allowed to default on their multiple homes and modest yachts. Not a good look.

On the other hand, shouldn’t our political leaders be like Teddy Roosevelt when he led the charge up San Juan Hill? Or do our present leaders precociously sacrifice and serve from a safe distance?

They have no skin in the game … they have only each other to blame as they nimbly ambulate through this congressional crisis without any shame.

Compromising is anathema and an anachronism to our current crop of Congress-dwellers.

So why are the members of Congress getting their paychecks while all other American citizens take the financial bullet for them?

If we look over our left or right shoulders, we can see our political leaders leading safely from behind … the president is in his gilded Oval Office, the Republicans left Washington for their home districts and the Democrats are nestled in their climate-controlled congressional offices eagerly anticipating what will be on the menu for their subsidized congressional lunch at the on-site, subsidized restaurant.

BTW, members of Congress get a $79 daily allowance for food and incidentals and the president can always DoorDash KFC any time.

SO … WE ARE ALL SACRIFICING?

Hardly.

I am righteously convinced that while all federal workers and American citizens are sacrificing during this government shutdown, Congressional Democrats, Republicans, Independents and the president regret that they have but one subsidized lunch to give for their country!

SHELDON FIREM

Chardon