Not long ago I read a joke….. It said all the politicians running for president promise, upon being elected to the high office in the land, to bring change to the American people. We send them billions and billions of tax dollars and they send us the change.

The writer went on to say that all this change got him to think that all politicians want to do these days is promise to change things.

And, man, they sure have! Change is what they’ve been giving us all along.

At one time we had a strong dollar on the world market…Politicians changed that.

Marriage used to be sacred…Politicians (along with weak-kneed judges…except for one good old boy down in Louisiana) have changed that.

We used to be respected around the world…Politicians changed that.

We used to have a strong manufacturing economy… Politicians changed that.

We used to have lower tax structures…Politicians changed that.

We used to enjoy more freedoms…Politicians changed that.

We used to be a large exporter of American made goods… Politicians changed that.

We used to teach patriotism in schools…..Politicians changed that.

We used to educate children in schools…Politicians changed that.

We used to enforce LEGAL citizenship…Politicians changed that.

We used to pray in schools…Politicians changed that.

We used to have affordable food & gas prices… Politicians changed that, too… and one could go on and on with this list.

What hasn’t been changed is the fact that politicians keep on promising to change, if you will elect them.

When is America going to sit back with open eyes and look at what we once were and where we have come and say, enough is enough?

The trouble is that America ‘s youthful voters today don’t know of the great America that existed fifty, sixty, seventy years ago.

They see the world as if it has always existed as it is now, and they see it while staring at an electronic device attached to the palm of their hand. We’re not blaming them…they just don’t know any better.

When will we wake up? Tomorrow may be too late. When will America realize that politicians are what is wrong with America ? This goes for BOTH parties… Republicans and Democrats; there is not much difference anymore when it comes down to their simple survival. What they really work hard at is getting re-elected.

What is needed is for the constitution to be amended to limit all Senators and Representatives to two terms in office, just like the President.

Oh, by the way, no big pension either; they receive Social Security just like the rest of us. How do they rate bigger and better entitlements than the people they work for, which, by the way, is us…the American citizens.

Politicians are no more than housekeepers and janitors… unfortunately they act like they own the building.

Being a politician shouldn’t be a person’s life work, but rather a call to public service; then it’s back to being an honest hard working citizen.

But even if that happened, they’d look to change something else.

 Cal Bryant is Editor Roanoke-Chowan Publications. He can be reached at cal.bryant@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7207.