The Government = "We the People"

I'd like to call your attention to an article entitled "Stopping Bashing Government Workers". Here's an excerpt that particularly spoke to me:

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, men and women proudly wore hats and shirts labeled “FDNY” and “NYPD.” When we wept for our nation, it was the bravery of the first responders that reminded us of our national character. There was a newfound respect for public service and a heartening change in how Americans viewed their government. Fire and police departments, and organizations such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, saw a surge in applicants. We didn’t just want to believe in those workers. We wanted to be them.

In the 10 years since, those and other public workers haven’t been any less heroic or any less essential. But they have been significantly less appreciated, even demonized. “There are a lot of government employees that need to go find a real job,” Rep. Paul Broun (Ga.), a Tea Party favorite, snorted in June. For too many on the right, a government worker isn’t a worker at all.

When are we going to get it that the government is "us"? If any aspect of government isn't functioning well, we need to vote in people who believe in government, not those who don't!!

When government doesn't function effectively, we call that a "failed state". Is that what we want for our country?
~~~