Once again, our nation’s leaders in Washington have played a ridiculous game of chicken at the expense of federal workers and American citizens who depend on government services they and it provide.

Playing chicken with the federal government’s operations has become an annual drama in the almighty tableaux of partisan politics. In each annual round the politicians effectively threaten to shut down the government — in most cases what is considered the non-essential parts at least — until gaining some kind of political leverage.

Late Thursday, Congress voted on a last-minute piece of legislation to avoid a shutdown of the government. But the 11th hour battle wasn’t necessary. The American people has grown weary of watching this foolishness.

American citizens are the pawns in the game, and as has become the norm, the needs of citizens take a back burner to political showmanship.

Here in Natchez, federal employees of the National Park Service operate the Natchez National Historical Park and Natchez Trace Parkway — two sizable attractions to the area. If the government had, in fact, shut down, Melrose and the William Johnson House would close, meaning Christmas visitors to Natchez would lose out.

And those 22 National Park Service employees in Natchez were left to wonder until the last minute whether or not they would be receiving paychecks later this month, as the Christmas season draws near.

We hope at some point American voters will tire of partisan politics and a get-nothing-done Congress, perhaps in some ways the recent ouster of a number of Congressional officeholders is a move in that direction.Citizens must demand from our elected representatives some spirit of compromise.

Our country and future generations can’t continue on the divisive, contentious path we are traveling now.