Shared Sacrifice

Tomorrow President Bush will visit the Midwest to see first hand the damage from flooding in Iowa. I commend him for doing so, as the destruction is pretty massive and is worthy of national attention.

It's customary and often necessary for governors and presidents to tour areas hits by natural disasters; it gives them first-hand view of the damage, and it shows that they care enough about what's going on. As we all know, President Bush and the federal government received a lot of flak for their response to Hurricane Katrina.

I would like to see our leaders take things one step further and engage in some activity to show the public that "I'm in this with you." Actions speak louder than words, so wouldn't it be great to see a governor roll up his or her sleeves for an hour and help sandbag a home, or help hand out food to flood victims and recovery workers? I know they all have busy schedules, but I think there would be no greater photo op than to see the head of your state or country sharing the load with his or her fellow citizens. It's times like these that we put our differences aside and come together to help each other, and whether you're a Democrat or Republican, everyone can relate to shared sacrifice.

And it doesn't have to take a natural disaster to bring about the concept of shared sacrifice. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson used sheep to cut the White House lawn so that he could save money on groundskeepers. And, the wool from those sheep would then go to clothing for the soldiers.

We haven't really seen anything like that during this current war. Our leaders have not asked us to make any real sacrifices here at home, while troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are risking their lives to make sure our country stays free. We've just been told to spend spend spend, and the result is now many of us are in debt.

Given our current energy crisis, I've thought of some things our politicians in Washington and Madison can do to lead by example and show that they care. First, I would get rid of the motorcades of SUVs. Couldn't the same thing be accomplished in smaller, fuel-efficient (or even hybrid) cars? The head of the Conservative Party in the UK, David Cameron, caused a stir when he biked to work one day. I know there are security concerns, but you get the idea.

Second, they could follow the advice of our parents and turn off the lights. Sure, the state capitol looks brilliant at night when it's lit up, but how much does that cost per night in electricity? If our state leaders really cared, maybe they'd come up with a plan to turn off the lights a few nights each month and save a little on energy.

These are just a few of the examples our leaders can set by showing they're willing to give up a little comfort for the public good. And it doesn't matter which party you belong to - everyone can appreciate seeing politicians acting as if they're "one of us."