To date, 1,263 legislators from both parties have sold their souls and their responsibility to their constituents by signing the 100-word "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" to not raise taxes -- period.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans For Tax Reform, almost single-handedly convinced 258 members of our current 113th Congress -- 219 in the House, 39 in the Senate -- to sign this pledge, primarily to get re-elected. This simple pledge has been responsible for Congress being in its current dilemma. Rigid, single-issue pledges do not make for a good government and are a recipe for political gridlock, our situation.

Congress did, however, take a required pledge, called an oath of office, to serve their country. Yet many signed away their ability to ever seriously address our country's fiscal issues. They were elected to solve problems, not to stonewall solutions by obligating themselves to irresponsible pledges.

What can we do? You and I can hold our representatives to their oath of office and reject any biased pledge that inhibits them from functioning while applying common sense and personal integrity to resolve our current nation's challenges.

Without our involvement, we deserve what we get.

Earle Everett

Hilton Head Island