Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?

The commercial for the telephone company where the man walks around and asks "can you hear me now" is funny to me because when we call the very same company we get put on hold and have to navigate a menu for services. Invariably we wind up on hold and punching buttons as we listen to computers give us all choices except to speak with a customer service representative.

Have you ever just wanted to speak with a person regarding the problem? I have! I want a real person on the other end of the phone line caring about what I need. A friend of mine told me that a social security representative hung up on her today when she called to get generic information about how she could help her in-laws who don’t understand all of the social security issues. She didn’t want specific information, only guidance on what she needed to do to help her in-laws.

When our government employees no longer understand that they work for the people of the United States there is a problem. I don’t know about you, but I want to feel that the government hears me, that the employees of the government understand the issues that I am facing and that the representatives of the government are working for my interest.

When I write this blog, I wonder whether I am writing it to vent, or whether I really expect change to take place. I believe that change can occur and I want to see a government that is responsive to the needs of the majority of the people and not just a few on the extreme ends of the political spectrum. I don’t expect that I’ll ever be perfectly satisfied with everything the government does, but I do expect the government to be responsive to the will of the majority of the people. Does anyone else feel like I feel? Does the government hear me now? I don’t really know, but I believe that the American people can overcome great obstacles and will go through great struggles to keep a democratic society flourishing in times where they do not felt that they are heard by the representatives who are elected.