Spare the Rod, Spoil the Policymaker
Politicians love to toss around stories of “hardworking Americans” and “small business owners” who, presumably either because of something the politician has done, or because of something their opponent wants to stop from happening, are able to achieve the “American dream”. My parents are small business owners. They’re hardworking Americans. They do what they love for a living, in a business that they built from the ground up. It just doesn’t get more American Dream-y than that. They, like many of the 4,000 or so residents of my hometown in Tennessee, make their living solely through the tourism that comes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today, American politicians’ inability to perform their basic functions led to the indefinite closing of that park, and just like that: my parents have to close their business today. Probably tomorrow. Maybe all week. At first glance this doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Free day off! As someo