What exactly is nonessential?

Today I am not a republican. Nor am I a Democrat.  I'm just disappointed.

What exactly is considered nonessential? I don't think it really matters if you and I are republican or democrat. It doesn't matter if you agree with Obamacare. It doesn't matter if you work for the federal government or just pay them the taxes they require out of each paycheck. What matters is that we are all essential.

To the 5 year old who's vacation is ruined because he can't get into Yosemite National Park today, the park personnel is essential.  For the 8th grade class that traveled across the country just to visit the Smithsonian and our nations capital, the people who keep those national monuments going, are essential.

I'm not sure how the American government, republican or democrat, could be so blind as to believe that it's okay to not come up with a budget in order to pay the people that keep the country running. You and I are required to stick to a budget, if for no other reason than to pay the government taxes. You and I are required to negotiate and compromise on that budget, whether that be with ourselves or with whomever we share our finances with. It is common sense that you have to stick to a budget and that a budget requires compromise.

I guess that's the biggest problem. Common sense. Somehow it's become not so common. The representatives that we elect to go to Washington for us are so concerned with pointing fingers and placing blame that they don't care that approximately 800,000 people are going to be without work. Almost a million people, and that's with a partial shutdown. All because, for some reason, it has become more important to make a stand and place the blame, than it is to make sure the American people continue to get paid.

Supposedly we live in the greatest, most powerful nation on the planet. Unfortunately, it's really hard to have faith in a government that can't be bothered to balance their budget well enough to keep the country running.

I don't want to start a political debate, or even talk about where I stand politically.  Honestly, right now, I'm not even sure.  All I want to do is voice my disappointment in a government that I am supposed to trust and stand behind.