Sweet Cicely

I would just like to turn your attention to Chapter 7 in Sweet Cicely because I feel that it exemplifies one of the greatest flaws in out government system. Politicians and even ordinary people are so quick to pass the responsibility to another person. We see Samantha first approach the President who then refers her to James G. Blaine who then refers her to Senator Logan, who then sends her to William Wallace, and this pattern continues until Samantha is tired out. The problem is not that there lacks a central person who can address Ms. Dorlesky's errand, but that all these men are responsible for the corruption of the system. There is no one person Samantha can possibly turn to; even the President can't help her.

Even today, we see how easily people pass the blame to other people in higher positions. There is no doubt that our political representatives (i.e. mayor, senator, governor, president) have a responsibility to serve the people, but too often I feel that people often put the blame on politicians without looking at how they may be contributing to the problem. The country's problems will only progress for the better if more people take responsibility for the problem and collectively seek a solution. As we can see through Samantha's failed attempt to lobby politicians for women's rights, one person is not very effective. It takes a whole mass of people who are in support of each other to get something done. Our government officials can only do so much, and sometimes they do nothing at all, which gives the ordinary people more reason to take up the problems society faces.