To The Rescue

Can I rant a little today? I just watched an piece on Good Morning America, and my blood is boiling. I know most folks don't get into politics and such on their blogs, but seeing as how this is the new public square in our world, I really can't think of a better place for such discussions.

Anyway, Chris Cuomo was interviewing two congresswomen, one a dem the other a rep, who voted against the bailout bill. It wasn't so much the interview that got me boiling but the follow-up piece where George Stephanopoulos showed the results of of the ABC poll revealing who Americans blame for the economic crisis. Most blamed the president; of course, he's the easiest target. Next in line was Wall-Street, and then people blamed Congress. Here's the kicker for me.

Why weren't these two options on the poll: mortgage companies who made bad decisions by giving loans to people who couldn't afford to repay them AND people who wanted more house than they could afford but decided that really didn't matter. (Just a disclaimer - I realize, too, that life happens and people find themselves over their heads through no fault of their own. I am not talking about these folks.) Also, if we want to play the blame game, why not blame the lawyers/realtors who try to rush people through the signing of their mortgage documents when it comes time to close on a house? I know that both times we have bought a house that I was made to feel like a moron if I had a question about the mounds of paper in front of me, asked for clarification of a term, etc. (Of course, this didn't stop me, and I read everything before I signed which I think frustrated a few folks.) Maybe if more people had asked questions about adjustable-rate loans and gotten answers, there wouldn't be an economic crisis.

Okay, last gripe about this whole deal although I could go on for quite a while. One of the biggest things we try to teach our girls is that there are consequences for our actions. We reap what we sow. It irks me to no end that people feel like they should be absolved from their natural consequences. That they're too good for that somehow. That Big Brother should swoop down and rescue us. So, I realize that some kind of "rescue" bill is eventually coming down the pike, but I am so thankful for the two ladies this morning and all the others who did not vote for this past bill. Both pointed out that we did not get in this mess in a few days and that they refused to be steamrolled into passing a bad bill (which from all I have read and understand, it was).

Shifting gears drastically, I just had an interesting thought about God's rescue plan. For He did rescue us in the greatest and most dramatic of love stories. But, even in that rescue, He didn't wipe out the underlying system. Sin still brings about death and destruction and can make a mess of our lives. We still have consequences for our actions. We still have to choose life, to follow Christ in every decision. I'm no economist or politician, but wouldn't it be great if you could mirror the bail-out bill to look like that?