Taking Responsbility for the Government Shutdown

Our federal government is shut down, thousands are on work furlough, our president is spitting mad, pointing fingers and continuing to blatantly show how under qualified he is to run our nation.
My husband and I are about to sell our calves, which means we will be getting our single livestock related paycheck for the year - the one we pay all our annual bills with. Due to having young rancher loans, my husband has to have the signature of a government worker that has been ordered not to work on his check before he can deposit it. If we cannot deposit that check, we will be unable to make our land, insurance and operating loan payments, along with numerous other smaller payments that are coming due before the end of the year.
We are definitely affected, and I tell you this first so you understand that my opinion is not that of someone who is in no way impacted by this shutdown, but as someone whose home and business are completely in question if things are not rectified in a timely manner.
The thing that makes me maddest is the general public's cry for a fix by Congress, their outrage against the other party, and the general mindset that Congress is solely responsible for this mess and consequently for fixing it.
Who elected Congress? I did, and you did. Without the American voter they would not be in a position to make decisions, or refuse to make decisions. We as citizens are the only reason each and every elected official, at any level of government, has a job/position.
This is our problem. The people responsible for this mess we're in is you and I, for our ignorance, lack of research, and/or refusal to show up and vote. For the general, lazy mindset in this country today that someone should fix it and take care of it for you, and for making Congress the latest responsible party for fixing what we should have fixed as citizens before it ever got to this point.
Now, I'm not saying that every single member of Congress is against working for the people, reaching solid solutions, or that every single American citizen made poor voting decisions. Based on what I've heard and read so far, the members I voted for that were elected are acting in ways I support the majority of the time. I have met with them in person and communicated with them in other ways to let my opinion, as a voting constituent known, in an effort to provide them insight as to what myself and my family, friends and neighbors expect of them.
What this also means is that going forward, we this citizens are responsible for helping to rectify this current mess and prevent a similar one in the future. That is done by knowing the issues, forming an opinion based on facts, communicating with your elected officials on your opinion and reasons for it, following future campaigns, and showing up to vote for the person who will work best on behalf of your community, occupation, religious beliefs, money management viewpoints, etc...
It is not accomplished by whining, spouting opinions that are based on nothing, pointing fingers everywhere but at yourself, and electing government officials on their looks, race or social status instead of on their ability to effectively run our country in a way that will make you proud to be an American.
You better believe that as a citizen of a new state I fully intend to do my research and vote as a well informed citizen in the next election, and continue to do my part to bring a stop to the current nonsense happening daily in our nations capital. I hope you will as well.

Scrambling

Climbing on the ol' soapbox this evening...
Is it just me, or do things seem to be unraveling a little (lot) in our nation's Capital? The evening news just finished its segment on the IRS scandal, and I cannot believe the man in charge still has his job?! But, Congress has finally found a topic they can agree on - that targeting any politically minded group because of their viewpoints is wrong. Everyone is scrambling - either to cover up whatever the rest is, or to dig it up. The only good thing I can see is that the diggers are bringing more and more information to light, and people are responding.
That was followed by "highlights" of Michelle Obama's graduation speech at one of the oldest African American colleges in the country, where she literally said only one in five African American students had gotten a college degree. Had gotten?! Seriously, I know I'm a grammar hound, but the lady was addressing college graduates.
And, as if that wasn't enough, it just disgusts me that anything a white, straight, job holding person says that could be misconstrued in any way as racism/intolerance is considered such, and yet our  first lady can give a commencement address entirely focused on a single race and she is not considered racist. She can negate rappers and the way children are being raised, but is not considered intolerant. Give me a break.
The remaining portion of the news was primarily focused on the devastating weather that's already gone through much of the country, and that is expected the remainder of the week. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected and impacted by them.
It's always so refreshing to watch the evening news...