Democrazy

The Library of Congress celebrates the famous quotes of inspirational American leaders by brilliantly posting them as engraved beacons of sage light for all to see, admire, and ooohhhh at.

"There can be no perfect democracy curtailed by color, race, or poverty, but with all we accomplish all" – W.E.B. Dubois

Obvious Mr. Dubois has never dined in the cafeteria of the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill.

Leave your jeans and T-shirts at home, boys and girls; this is where the big dogs play in their Gucci and Armani. Just two minutes from the House and Senate, the Rayburn Building houses many of the Congressional offices of the political big wigs (it just struck me that "big wig" as an expression may have something to do with pre-Propecia colonial snobs with gavels).

Jeans = tourist … but I wouldn't let that stop me from seeing what the Congress folk and their staff munch on during their hectic day of misusing government funds. The cafeteria was clean, inexpensive, and altogether pretty decent (the dessert cart, in particular, was more tempting than even an intern with a cigar).

I took a moment to pan over the cafeteria and its patrons. The "democracy" that Dubois refers to should be evident in this, the United States of America; prized democracy that stands as a leader to the rest of the world for values and ideals such as equality, tolerance, and gorging.

Instead what I saw was a room FULL of white people (mostly men) in suits. I could count the persons of color on two hands. Interns, office assistants, lobbyists: everyone was white.

Well, "everyone", except for a small group that was probably working the hardest that day- the clean-up crew.

"With all we accomplish all" – indeed: we pass laws that instill racism and neglect within our entire system, we encourage individualism at the expense of others' misfortune, we don't have national health insurance, and we expect people to clean up after us.

Seems like we accomplish quite a bit.