Mississippians just have a way of getting things done. It’s one of the many things we love so dearly about our home state.

So it was no surprise to hear of some good Mississippians — including Natchez resident Noland Biglane — who cut through the Washington bureaucracy Tuesday and made a statement on the shape of our country, with a simple act of innocent defiance.

The nearly 100 Mississippi veterans who didn’t let a barricade stop them from visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington are true heroes in our eyes.

In one simple act of civil disobedience, the veterans clearly demonstrated just how ridiculous the whole government shutdown is.

Why, on earth, are our elected leaders incapable of sitting down like adults and working out a compromise on issues?

In almost every case where serious issues are on the line, the debate spirals down into a one-upmanship match resulting in absolutely nothing being accomplished.

The political infighting in Washington has become almost incomprehensible for normal Americans to deem acceptable.

Enough is enough.

We need our leaders to lead. Period.

Perhaps Washington needs to be stormed by more smart, veterans who have their hearts focused on the country and not their own self-interests.