[VIDEO] Reactions from the Public

Reactions from the public about the government shutdown:

http://www.politico.com/multimedia/video/2013/10/government-shutdown-reactions.html

[QUESTION] Government Shutdown

Is the Republican or the Democratic Party more at fault for the government shutdown, and why? Do you believe they are equally at fault? Or is the President at fault?

[COMPARE/CONTRAST] The Washington Post vs. usa.gov

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/

This article took on a colloquial tone, explaining what the government shutdown was and its effects on the economy and the public. It used a question and answer format. It focused on the causes of the shutdown, its relation to Obamacare, as well as general effects and predicted effects on the country.

http://www.usa.gov/shutdown.shtml

This source is more formal than that of the Washington Post. It did not talk about the causes of the government shutdown, but instead had specific details about which government services would and would not be affected by the shutdown. It did not mention the effects on the economy or the people; it simply listed what areas of the government would be affected.

Both articles are informative. They are also impartial, despite the Washington Post being more informal than USA.gov; neither expressed a bias towards the Democrats or the Republicans. Both talked about the consequences of the shutdown.

[SUMMARY] Government Shutdown

Congress has been attempting to come up with a budget for the new fiscal year, which began on October 1st (CNN). However, because of disagreements regarding the Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare"), the budget was not passed by the midnight deadline and the government was shut down (Washington Post). The Republicans do not want the Affordable Care Act to be passed, but the Democrats do (USA Today). As a result, all government workers deemed "non-essential" are currently unpaid (CNN). National parks and museums have also been closed (USA Today). Congress, the President, the military, and workers who are directly related to public health and safety are considered "essential" and will continue to be paid (Washington Post). The shutdown will end once the President signs a bill to fund the government (Washington Post).

Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/29/questions-and-answers-about-the-shutdown/2888419/

[OPINION] Dear Tea Party: Please Grow Up (and pass Obamacare!)

It's sad when a teenage girl is asking a group of adults to be more mature. Honestly, I fall into what is arguably the most mentally unstable demographic in this nation and even I can see this government shutdown is both ridiculous and unnecessary.

But I digress.

According to polls, the majority of the public blames the Republicans for the government shutdown. As a flaming liberal living in the New England area, I am inclined to agree. Their utter refusal to even attempt compromise with the Democrats regarding the Affordable Care Act is astounding.

While I generally disagree with the GOP, however, I also realize that it's actually a small sect of Republicans (the Tea Party) that is the main reason why Congress is stuck at this stalemate. Apparently, some of the Traditional Republicans are willing to agree with certain parts of Obamacare, but God forbid John Boehner try to make concessions with the Senate because if nothing else, the Tea Party has three things: extremist Right-wing views, obscene amounts of money, and equally obscene amounts of power. Which, as I'm sure most people realize, clearly makes them empathetic to the people who need Obamacare in order to afford healthcare. Obviously.

This brings me to my next point. Why aren't we passing the Affordable Care Act? I thought easily accessible healthcare was supposed to be a good thing.

Okay, the Republicans and the Tea Party do have a point in that making healthcare mandatory for all U.S. citizens would raise prices for those who can already pay for their healthcare. But let's think about the greater good here. There are people who are struggling to make ends meet every month. Are we going to force them to choose between having health insurance and being able to put food on the table every night?

And let's say the main provider of an underprivileged family gets sick, but can't get medication because they can't afford it. They stay home to recover, and return to work only to find out they've been laid off. Or say their child has a disease, but they can't treat it because that kind of advanced care is astronomically expensive. Maybe they don't even know what disease it is, because they can't get a diagnosis from a doctor. And we're willing to let that happen because some of us aren't willing to pay an extra buck?

Unless you're completely and utterly heartless or a Tea Party Republican, I'm guessing the answer to most of the above would be no. And there is evidence in videos and polls that many people agree with the separate tenants of the Affordable Care Act, yet when asked if they support "Obamacare" they answer in the negative. Seems like the main reason they disagree is because it was proposed by the Democrats.

What does it say about the state of our country that something as simple as party lines are blinding people to the need of our fellow citizens? George Washington was right; political parties was the wrong way to go.