Granny D. Discusses An Elephant

Via WorkingForChange, the transcript of an excellent speech by Doris "Granny D" Haddock addressing the recent outbreak of political corruption.

We all see ourselves as hard, unselfish workers, building a better tomorrow for our people. If a senator in his Lexus or Mercedes speeds by a homeless family after voting down a budget item for affordable housing, it is not because he is cruel, for he is working for the larger goal of building a prosperous society that encourages people to get to work and take care of their own families, and he is doing that today by helping an oil refinery avoid smokestack regulations. It is not because he doesn't want clean air and water, but because there is a price to pay for jobs and growth, and you have to break some eggs to make that omelet. In fact you may have to allow some mercury into the eggs. The fact that the wealthy elite of the community agree with him and forever finance his reelection is but a happily synchronous fact of life and maybe even a sign from the big CEO in heaven that all's right with the world.

...The present season of scandals, both in Washington and in statehouses, including Wisconsin's, is not the airing of some unfortunate lapse of ethics by otherwise ethical people, it is merely the case that the elephant that has long been in the room of our democracy has once again released a sudden offense of gas and everyone is concerned to clear the air, but they will be content also to let the elephant remain. And it will all happen again if we do not take this opportunity to coax the beast from the room.

Read all, I entreat you. Don't worry; it's not Long Ass.