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We live in a Representative Democracy, which is to say that the very definition of our government takes citizen input into consideration during decision making processes. I believe one of the central issues of the modern era is the tendency of government to overlook what the constituency wants, and to simply make policy based on what lobbyists and special interests dictate. However, let's take lobbyists and special interest groups out of the equation, and see what's left.

I live in California, in the Bay Area. This is arguably the most Liberal area of the country. I am represented by Feinstein and Pelosi. One thing that I can guarantee is that my conservative values are not represented in Washington by either of these two women. It is dreadful to endure the constant mis-representation by these Senators. I have written numerous emails, sent letters, and made phone calls, pleading my case to them on all sorts of issues. During the Robert's hearings I consistently pleaded with Feinstein's office to give him a fair chance. She did not do that to any extent. Unfortunately, as long as I choose to live here I will never be represented.

In our country there is no true way for every person to be represented. There are far too many factions and there is no central place for each of the factions to live. If we were able to congregate together maybe there would be some chance of that happening, but then we'd have a country like Iraq, where each different group lives in seclusion. Obviously, that is not what we want to have happen here. So, as long as we intend to be "inclusive" of all sides, we will definitely always leave out someone's point of view.

Local government is the only way to really get at the grassroots movement of making a difference for our immediate lives. While it would be fantastic to think of a President that represents "all" the people, I am certain the sentiment is a pie-in-the-sky dream. Does President Bush represent the LGBT movement? I can say emphatically that he does not. But, Pelosi certainly has her hand in that groups back pocket. So, it is up to her to plead the case of those fine folks who find gender identification a complicated subject.

Ideally every decision made by government should be informed by the people. There should never be a time when the government acts unilaterally to make decisions that would be against the will of the population at large. But, the reality of the situation is that the "population at large" really depends on the population category one happens to fall into. Insofar as no one person can represent them all, it becomes impossible for all decisions to be made to represent all people. That is why we have a representative government. Hopefully each person will feel like they have an ally in the establishment. If not, then it is up to the individual to work within their localities to begin that process.

Learn more about this author, Angela Walters.
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