Last night my friend Allison and I went out for a margaritas. We got to talking about the current political situation our nation is facing and it naturally turned to President Obama. Both of us consider ourselves Democrats, her more so than myself considering both of her parents are Dems and mine are Republicans.
"You know, it really bothers me the way that they talk about Obama," she said.
I had to agree. His opposition has nothing positive to say about him. Why would they? They're trying to get back into office. Typically, when facing an opponent, you don't compliment them and tell them what a good job they're doing when you want to be doing that job yourself, but in a totally different way/direction.
What bothers me, I guess, the most, is the way that people don't realize what it is they're saying because they choose the wrong words or don't notice the tone they use. Many people are upset with the fact that they think he's a muslim, is not a legal US citizen, supports the building of a muslim mosque on Ground Zero, dislike the new health-care bill that he has enacted, have lost faith in his economic policy because we aren't back up on the high we had before the recession began, or wish that he would take a stand on different things. In fact, there are young people that I've come in contact with who are upset that he's in office because they think he's going to make all white/caucasian citizens into slaves to get back at us for enslaving his ancestors.
Um, I'm sorry, but all of these seem somewhat absurd to me.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the United States worried about someone who was elected into office being Catholic instead of a Protestant? Hello, President Kennedy! We seemed to survive that ordeal and he is one of the most beloved president's in our history. If we can overcome a Catholic president, I'm sure we can get through this, even though I've not heard or seen concrete evidence to prove that President Obama is, in fact, a muslim. And so what if he is? The United States was founded by the Puritans who were seeking religious safe-haven in an unsettled (unsettled to European standards) land. Why would we persecute a person, let alone our elected president, because of a religious belief?
At the moment, I may have to give up the point that he's not a legal US citizen. As far as I know, his birth certificate has not be produced or authenticated. I choose to believe that the powers at hand did their job and made sure of everything before they let him into office.
To those that are up-in-arms over the islamic mosque being built on Ground Zero, can we please get a few facts straight before continuing?
1. It is a community center, not a religious center.
2. The site where they want to build is not directly on Ground Zero, but a few blocks away.
3. Not all muslims are as awful as the ones who flew the planes into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. I happen to think of myself as a Christian and I really don't appreciate it when someone compares me to the Phelps' religious fanatics from Topeka, Kansas. As a Kansan, I try to make sure people know not everyone from Kansas is as messed up as the Phelps. We don't judge all black male athletes to be O.J. Simpson or Mike Tyson. We don't judge all Koreans to be the same as Kim Jung Il. The list goes on and on, but I happen to think that there are poor examples from every community in the world, but you don't judge every person to be the exact same way, do you? If you do, I'm surprised you ever leave the house or communicate with anyone on any given day.
4. Christians weren't the only people who died in the Twin Towers. That building was full of many different religions, spiritual beliefs, and atheists. Rather than being fussy that a group of muslims would like to build a community center a few blocks from Ground Zero, why don't we devote the whole place to every religious group out there? Each one could have the exact same space of ground to build on, or not, and use it as a tribute of the hope for world peace? I'm pretty sure John Lennon would be impressed. So would Jesus. Or Buddah. Or maybe no one would be, but it's a nice idea if you're an atheist.
5. Interchanging the term muslim for terrorist is not acceptable. Did the terrorists happen to muslim? Unfortunately, yes. Are all muslims as unstable as the terrorists? Fortunately, no. The christian community would be up in arms if this were being done to them. Continually interchanging muslim for terrorist is only perpetuating the hatred towards people who don't deserve it.
6. Telling the muslim community that they can't build community centers or mosques near Ground Zero, or in the state of Kentucky, is taking us back to the Japanese internment camps circa WWII. While we may not be physically deporting them to the crappiest bits of real estate in Arizona, telling them where they can or can't build is heading in that direction.
7. There is a separation of church and state. President Obama is to create and enact policies that he feels would make America better than it was, not to comment on what some religions are wanting to accomplish. Legislators have somewhat successfully been able to keep faith/religion/spirituality out of the laws. You cannot ask someone who is to make laws that are to govern every person from every walk of life in this nation to take a stand on something like this.
A number of years ago the Democrats had this idea of a thing called welfare and social security. Both were good ideas. Both need to be revamped. Both are being abused. Both have been used by the majority of our nation at one time or another. The health-care bill the President Obama has created and put into place is only going to help. Will it be perfect from the get go? No, nothing ever is. However, we are one of the last industrialized first-rate countries in the world who hasn't used it. Why is that? While this may go hand-in-hand with the people-need-to-be-responsible-for-themselves, I'd like to point out how the recent financial crisis has made people who are normally responsible-for-themselves not-so-responsible-for-themselves. Children who have lousy parents (regardless of socio-economic status) shouldn't be punished and go without basic health care. Adults who are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet while attending college (or not) shouldn't be punished and go without basic health care. Senior citizens who need thousands of dollars worth of prescriptions each month shouldn't be punished and go without basic health care. Health care is not a privilege, but a basic and fundamental right--like breathing. Yes, it will be abused, but what in this world isn't being abused these days? There will be ways to fix the abuse to the system, you just have to put it in place and figure it out as you go.
There are those who feel that the plans that President Obama has set forth aren't showing any success and want to abandon them for an immediate fix. When the foundation of your house has serious damage, you don't use duct tape to fix it, you invest in some serious construction to save it, or replace it--if it's even possible. Expecting the bailouts to save the economy (while, might I add, they are being used as bonuses for the CEO's and other various executives who are in charge of this mess) immediately is not a reasonable expectation. A food fight can last 15 minutes, but it will take hours to clean--especially when the carpet is soiled, the hardwood floors have been scratched, and the grout has some sort of sticky goo that is unidentifiable and even Simple Green can't get it off the floor. It took nearly seven years to get into the most recent recession, and expecting two full years to eradicate the situation is ludicrous. While President Obama had plans, I doubt even he knew the depths of which the recession would take the American community and those plans probably had to be tossed out for something else.
Probably the biggest issue that faces the Obama administration right now is the border between the US and Mexico. Should something have been done earlier? Yes. Should they be doing something now? Yes. What would you suggest? A giant fence or the Great Wall of the Southwest can be climbed, scaled, tunneled, or blown up. Opening up the border to everyone will only put a further burden on our economy as it is. Using our military resources just for the south is impractical. Allowing basic citizens monitor it themselves won't work because there will be no cohesion to who's let in and who's not. I think any reasonable suggestions should be entertained.
Just a thought....actually, it's a few thoughts:
1. Rather than throw temper-tantrums against your opposition (and this goes for both parties) why not act like adults? Shocking, I know! Consider this: When a child says, "This sucks!" it only further fuels the fire for you to think they're wrong and have no idea what is best for them. When a child uses their vocabulary, intellect, and rational reasoning skills to communicate that they are dissatisfied, you are more apt to listen. Republicans should use their vocabulary, intellect, and rational reasoning skills to communicate to the Democrats why they are upset with the laws that the Obama administration is trying to (or has) put into place. In return, the Democrats should behave similarly and continue on with the discussion at hand.
2. Support someone who has volunteered to clean up the shit storm that others before him left behind. (This also goes for both parties.) Democrats are not perfect. We leave behind messes, too. But rather than point out how it SHOULD be done, why not pitch in and help. Perhaps one of you out there has a good idea that can be used. Why not offer it up? I didn't know that newspaper and Windex cleans windows better than a rag and Windex until someone told me. Who knew? Same goes for this. To complain and throw fits that your house is a mess after a house-party does no good. Your guests should have cleaned up after themselves, but they didn't. You don't point out to the one or two guests (out of the 100 who attended) who are helping clean, that they're doing it all wrong. No. In real-life you thank them for sticking around to help. Actually, in real-life, you probably don't allow 100 people to screw up your house in the first place, but just go with it.
3. Relax. Our founding fathers put policies in place that regulate how laws are made and enacted. They did this because, well, they were smart and the general public is not. Have you ever noticed how everything has a natural rate? The opposite of summer is winter. The temperature between the two evens out. What makes you think the same thing won't happen with our great nation? The reason that it takes forever to get anything accomplished in this nation is because the founding fathers wanted us to really think about what it is we were going to call a law. Laws and beliefs are pretty strong words to be slinging around. They sound definite and inflexible, black and white with no possible hint of gray. Until they are actual laws and beliefs that everyone must adhere to, we should really just call them ideas or suggestions. So, relax. Everything will even itself out in the long run. If not, there's an upside: The world is supposed to end December 12, 2012, and you'll only have to live with things like this for a short while--if that's what you believe.
4. Learn to be patient. You need to give something the opportunity to work before you figure out that it won't. Let's entertain the ideas that our president has brought to the table. If they don't work, we can move to plan b and all we've lost is time. And to be honest, we would probably have lost that time to some other idea that didn't work. It's not as if you're really going anywhere. I mean, yes, you could move out of the country and become and expatriate, or perhaps you'll be leaving this world soon due to death, but whatever law is in place isn't really going to change any of that is it? If you're leaving the country for good, this single presidency isn't the real reason for it. And if you're dying, well, the law itself isn't going to cure you.
Currently drinking: Pumpkin Spice Latte
Currently eating: Horsey-cream cheese and turkey sandwich
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