The Creator was tired. After spending days and days making all the animals and plants, a rest was in order. One more animal needed to be created, so a bipartisan committee of angels and demons was called in to do the job. The Creator smiled, packed the golf clubs, and beat a hasty exit.
The two co-chairs called the meeting to order and, after the requisite speeches from each member, the meeting began in earnest. The angels were adamant that the creature should be soft and loveable. The demons wanted it to have a stinger to inject venom. Further, the angels demanded that it be able to lay eggs - the symbol of fertility and life - while the demons threatened to withhold support unless the animal was a marsupial. They loved marsupials.
They committee voted and sent their plans to the Creator. The Creator shook with laughter but wanted to humor the committee. So the Creator took clay and water, shaped them into a form, and breathed life into a...
Duck-billed platypus.
And then both sides complained that the other had dominated the committee meeting and ruined the final product.
Today, as presidential candidates and members of Congress lament or ignore the condition of Social Security, Medicare and other such programs, we're likely to hear a lot about "getting to the bargaining table" or "everything's on the table - except…."
The table, like the platypus, is a metaphor but it’s a critically important one. And when today's incarnations of angels and demons speak volubly about what should or should not be on the table or even what shape the table should be, we need to call them to account.
It's time every option is on the table. Liberals and conservatives alike are guilty of slowing the issue to a crawl because one thing or another is sacred or anathema to them. Let's put every single option on the table and discuss the merits of each. Then - and only then - can we have the debate necessary to save the programs for future generations while restoring confidence in the political system as a whole.
The end result likely will resemble a platypus. And that's okay. They're cute, cuddly, and pack a mean wallop. Something to make every legislator proud.
