IN DEFENSE OF THE SWAMP

I still believe that all politicians are not scumbags, and that there are still ethical and decent people who want to serve, and contribute their talents, to local and National government in order to make their communities, and our Country, a better place.

However, dirty politics are not a new phenomenon, and some people will do or say anything to win. For them, the ends justify the means. For instance, in 1950, Richard Nixon ran for Congress against Helen Gahagan Douglas, the wife of the actor, Melvyn Douglas. Nixon called her a Communist, and claimed, “It has been discovered that she is a practicing heterosexual.”
He won.  For him, it was the start of something big, until years later, he left the Presidency in disgrace.

Sometimes, voters don’t listen, don’t care or simply don’t understand what a politician is saying. This leads me to the subject of—-Swamps. President Trump has taken pride in the statement that he wants to “Drain the Swamp.” So, someone needs to defend swamps before we all end up like Louisiana. They drained their swamps (wetlands) and almost drowned New Orleans.

Besides flood control, swamps are critically important for providing fresh water and oxygen to all life, and are habitats for all kinds of wildlife. They are extremely important for preserving tree species, carbon storage, and fish production. So, draining swamps can cause irreparable damage.

President Trump used his picturesque  swamp-drainage-language while dismissing many experienced, dedicated employees, who have faithfully served this Country. And, he has decimated many governmental departments such as the State Department. So far, as evidenced by the comings and goings of many of his appointees, he has had problems replacing the  qualified people, who were dismissed.

Some writers have claimed that Trump has gone from swamp to cesspool, when some of his appointees left in disgrace—-even before they could  get their tentacles into the jobs they were assigned.

Cesspools are underground storage tanks, and when they start to leech out, the waste is a pollutant. However, in the United States,  most cesspools are only used for temporary storage of doo-doo. These are called “Holding Tanks” and they must be emptied frequently.  For the good health of the Country, it’s time to start emptying.

Maybe, Swamp Creatures aren’t that bad after all.

Esther Blumenfeld

 (“Stride with proud disdain through the swamp of human inadmissibility”) Joachim Peiper.