‘Progressive’ just another word for ‘progress’

In November, we as Americans are facing yet another critical election season. One in which all the massive efforts of our current seated government officials could be reversed – forcing our country further into financial ruin and halting the progress of social programs that haven't been seen since the New Deal.

First of all, let's take a look at what exactly the Democratically led leadership of the country has done so far: reinstated America's global position in the world by revolutionizing our foreign policy choices and engagements; stabilized the national economy through the efforts of the stimulus package; reversed the total job losses left in the aftermath of President George W. Bush's administration; expanded federal hate crime laws; brought three women to the Supreme Court and signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; and fixed the massive problems with the student loan programs in the country, while increasing the levels of student enrollment through extended tax credits.

While it is understandable that a nation that has grown to believe that the word "liberal" means "terrorist," it is not possible to deny the progress that has been made.

Now, let's take a moment to look at what our government has not been able to accomplish: a single-payer health care system, a ceasefire in the Middle East, a revolutionary solution to end the energy crisis, freeing us from dependence of foreign oil; an extension of civil liberties to all citizens – thus making them "created equal," and the list goes on.

Do any of these items seem remotely possible? Not entirely. And while many of these topics were on the list for "Change" and "Hope" during the 2008 presidential campaign, it is difficult to find a feasible solution that would survive debate in either chamber of Congress.

Mainly, this is due to the unbelievable number of filibusters that have risen from the right-hand side of the Senate. During the 110th and 111th U.S. Congresses, there have been 256 motions of cloture filed. That breaks down to 139 motions in the last Congress – leaving 117 motions filed thus far in the current Senate. In the 109th with a GOP majority, only 68 were filed.

In fact, it is hard to place a finger on the bills at hand that have not been filibustered in the past year. And yet, the Republican National Party headquarters is urging Americans to "Fire Pelosi" because she and Harry Reid are responsible for the lack of progress in America. Interestingly enough, the Democrats are urging the GOP leadership to keep their signs of negativity held high.

They know a secret the GOP doesn't. American voters asked for this change in masses, and they have not yet been completely satisfied.

This is why it is so crucial for supporters of this Great Progress to mobilize and help by bringing more voters to the polls. The Murfreesboro chapter of Organizing for America is actively working to motivate constituents to participate in this election cycle, and I encourage you to join in its goal of mobilizing voters.

Just because the upcoming elections do not involve a presidential campaign, this does not mean that your civic duty as an American is any less important. The trend in politics since the 20th century is that the seated Congress is almost always up heaved in midterm elections.

Allowing that to happen this time would be detrimental to everything that has been accomplished. It would either halt all progress toward freedom from oil dependency and freedom from tyrannical religious oppression, or it would place us on the one path that we must not follow – the one behind us.

Dustin Evans is a 2010 organizational communication graduate and former managing editor of Sidelines. He can be reached at riffy16@gmail.com.