I’ll admit it. After I turned 18, and Election Day was upon me, I felt grown up and ready to contribute to choose who runs our government. Just before I entered my assigned polling place on Election Day, I did what every American does: I called my dad and asked, “Who am I voting for?”
OK, so maybe every American doesn’t do that. But back then, I knew my dad was the smartest man in the world, and he would know whom I should help choose to lead our great country.  Little did I know that I am just as strong a liberal-independent as he is conservative Republican.  We respectfully agree, and disagree, on many of the world’s issues.  But there is one thing we both agree on: we need term limits for all elected officials.
As Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, said, “Americans know real change in Washington will never happen until we end the era of permanent politicians… As long as members have the chance to spend their lives in Washington, their interests will always skew toward spending taxpayer dollars to buyoff special interests, covering over-corruption in the bureaucracy, fundraising, relationship building among lobbyists, and trading favors for pork -- in short, amassing their own power.”
Late last year, DeMint introduced an amendment to the Constitution that would limit Senate members to three six-year terms, and House members to three two-year terms. For the amendment to pass, two-thirds of the House and Senate would need to approve it.  I was not shocked to hear that leaders in Washington say there is no interest in this bill.  
“It’s a great issue to talk about, but it’s not going to happen,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Illinois.  He said it probably won’t even get one vote.
A similar proposal failed 15 years ago for not meeting the two-thirds vote requirement.
In a country where approximately 90 percent of incumbents are re-elected, we need to eliminate the power of the “old bulls” and introduce fresh thinking to restore respect for our government.  Term limits would force out career politicians who are more concerned with their own gain than the interests of the American people.  If term limits were passed, our government would be more responsive to public needs as a direct result of this continuous process of renewal.
While some may argue that imposing term limits goes against what democracy in America stands for, I beg to differ.  Term limits will keep politicians in tune with their constituents, and less focused on paying back their promises to heavy hitter campaign contributors.  
Electing government officials solely on the merits of their actions and policies is a good thing.  Re-electing government officials because they have more experience and, let’s admit it, it’s just easier, is not a good thing.  Is that really democracy?  Or is it just indifference?