The Snake

Ever so often I read or see on TV or hear on the radio, a story about some politician who, according to the storyteller, "has let us down." The most recent case of this is the computer fund stink currently going on in Birmingham. I don't know enough about the Birmingham business to even make an intelligent comment, so I won't. But I would like to address the bigger problem of politicians, "letting us down."

First, let me say that I am talking here about politicians and not statesmen. If you don't know the difference, do some reading and don't rely too much on dictionary definitions. In my mind, politicans lie but statesmen tell the truth, albeit done carefully. Just as a matter of observation, I would estimate that 99 percent of the elected officials in these United States are politicians, with the rest being statesmen.

When I hear someone refer to a politician as having let us down I always think of the Johnny Rivers song "The Snake." If you don't remember the song Click Here and scroll down to the middle of the page to read the lyrics.

You see, politicians are just like the snake in the song. They will tell you what you want to hear to get you to do what they need you to do, then they will do what is their nature and feel contempt for you because you were foolish enough to believe them in the first place. What is the answer to this problem? I say never vote for a politician, always vote for a statesman, and learn to tell the difference.