The More Things Change...

“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a congress.” That is how Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards, through the character of John Adams, begin their somewhat historical play 1776. Every time I’ve watched the movie version of this Broadway classic, Adams’ words have always conjured up images of our senators and representatives in Washington D.C. And although that may appropriately describe some of our national leaders, I’ve now come to recognize that these words more accurately describe our state congressional delegation in Montgomery.

Why is it that, for the most part, when the state of Alabama makes national headlines, the news is usually embarrassing? Although I realize my home state has had a lot of black marks in its history, I have maintained a steadfast belief that we have largely put our past transgressions behind us and are moving forward. Many people who come to visit Alabama for the first time are amazed that there are no more police dogs attacking African Americans, no more bus burnings, and no more chants of “segregation forever.” They are even more surprised to discover that most people in Alabama actually have all of their teeth and are more than able to form coherent, intelligent sentences and engage in thoughtful conversation. What they find, in other words, is a state and people whose reality is far-removed from universal perception.

But then there are national headlines like this one from last week: “Fistfight breaks out on floor of Alabama Senate.” And to top it all off, the whole thing was captured on video and has been played via television and the Internet for the whole world to see. So once again, the stereotypical image of Alabama as being a backwards-thinking state made up of backwards-thinking people continues to be perpetuated. And that, my friends, is a shame.

What needs to happen is a good old fashioned “throw the bums out” housecleaning in Montgomery. We need a state congressional delegation that can accomplish more in a legislative session than just giving themselves a 61% pay raise (which is about all they’ve accomplished recently). We need leaders, on both sides of the aisle, that will represent the interests of the state of Alabama as well as they represent the interests of their own districts. And we need legislators who will not bow down to the powerful special interest groups in our state. Our current congressional leaders (there’s an oxymoron if there ever was one) have become a joke in their own state, and the time has come for a new direction in Montgomery.

The state of Alabama, fortunately, has moved past it’s dark and disturbing past. From the rocket scientists who call Huntsville home to the world-class medical professionals in Birmingham to the players in the Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, our state has much to be proud of. Alabamians are not, as we are often portrayed, a bunch of back-woods rednecks (well, most of us aren’t). There are a lot of good old country folks here, but that doesn’t make us ignorant. Just because we like to eat pinto beans and corn bread doesn’t mean we are a third world country. We have clung to all the things that were good about our past while discarding those things that were abominable.

Alabama has come a long way in the past fifty years. Too bad our state legislature hasn’t.