You want term limits? Get ye to the voting booth!

I appreciated Ellen Goodman's recent Chicago Tribune column (1/31/95) suggesting that every 2, 4 or 6 years, there is more than one way to skin a political cat. Finally, someone other than myself understands the utter uselessness of a "term limits" amendment.

Now and then, a hot new idea creeps into the public’s collective brain; this time, it is term limits. Many people in this country have reacted positively to the prospect of such a law and why not? They know it's a pet project of the resurrected GOP, a group that suddenly finds itself fashionable again (if the party's own press releases and Rush Limbaugh are to be believed) and we Americans are nothing if not fashionable.

There's an ironic twist to the GOP's embracing of a term limits amendment. How strange that the party which calls for "less government" has found yet another way to infiltrate our personal decisions. I guess this is no shock coming from the bunch who can't remember which books go in our kids' hands at which times. (Here's a refresher: According to our Constitution, it's "Dick & Jane" at school, and "Mary & Joseph" at home or at one's place of worship.) Yes, this is the same gaggle of legislators who can't keep their thoughts off pregnant women’s wombs. Admit it: There are few things more frightening than the idea of Newt Gingrich and Jesse Helms meddling in your honey's panties.

Anyhow, these fine Americans, and many others like them, desperately crave term limits, a concept with an insanity quotient rivaled only by this country's fascination with such a proposal. It's a sad commentary on our society when we opt to replace a most democratic method of limiting a politician's time of service with the fascist method known as the "term limit" amendment.

Right! We already have a way of limiting terms!

It's called an election. People around the world would give their right arm for an opportunity to actually vote. But not our country. Most of us can't seem to get off our asses and execute this right given us. Though, offered a choice between democracy and other forms of rule, we wouldn't want it any other way. Or would we?

Incredible as it may seem, this wacky process of elections works. (Just as Dan Rostenkowski.) It can weed out those we feel have been in office too long or it can leave well enough alone those who represent segments of our population who consider themselves well represented in Washington - "career politicians."

Which brings up one last point. "Career Politician" has long been considered an ugly reference. But I suppose there are worse things than someone who says, “Yes, I'm willing to commit my life to this job, though I have nothing to fall back on and my future is in the hands of you, the voter, every couple of years." You think that sounds evil? Trust me, it's much easier to hold such a person accountable than, say, the alternative....the fellow who, knowing he's out after “X” number of terms, realizes there's not a whole lot of time to get anything done, so he just sits back and collects that six-figure income.

You want term limits? You want the government undermining the electoral process? Then go find yourself another country.

"That which deserves to live - lives." - Anonymous