Last night...Erin and I sat glued to the television. The President of the United States had a "major" announcement to this country and to the "world". As the time began to tick away...prior to the President's address...we soon realized that a man who became the face of "Global Terrorism" had finally met his end and for the moment... the United States took a collective sigh of relief. For more than 10 long years...this "animal" had eluded capture. The search covered 3 Presidential administrations and on May 1, 2011...it concluded. I'm not going to try and hyperbolize what this means to our country as a whole. However...this morning...the families of so many innocent victims can finally feel vindicated that justice has been served and America, once again, symbolically proved that our resolve is relentless!! The head of the snake has been removed and though the body may continue to writh and the toxins of its poison still remain deadly...inevitably...the snake will die!! Let us celebrate this great accomplishment as a united country and a thankful WORLD!!
Now...onto the topic "du jour." Erin and I both sat and watched every word of Obama's speech to the world. I hung on every breath and quite frankly...dissected everything he said. I told Erin prior to its beginning what "I thought" it was necessary for him to say. Quite frankly...he exceeded "MY" expectations and I was moved to tears. Of course...as expected...many people did not have a similar reaction!!
As I have repeated "ad nauseum" within the confines of this blog...I NEVER expect other people to completely "agree" with my political beliefs and/or viewpoints. Granted...it is always nice when I find someone like-minded...in this part of the world... for the past 32 years...it has become quite a rarity. For most...it is a known fact where my allegiances lie and where my political leanings are tilted. That being said...what I witnessed last night...had nothing to do with political leanings or philosophy and everything to do with meanness and hatred!!
As hundreds...or perhaps thousands...of Americans took to the streets of Washington, DC to cheer and celebrate the destruction of the greatest evil since Adolph Hitler...other people took to FACEBOOK...in order to question the motives and more specifically...to skeptically critique every word of President Obama's speech. Once again...I don't mind political cynicism but I will not stand by and be a party to falsehood, misinformation and overall dangerous propaganda!!
I wanted to address several of the accusations that were flying around the internet. The first and perhaps the most aggregious was that Obama either "didn't thank our troops at all" or "didn't thank them enough." So let's address that issue. In my heightened state of irritation I was unable to sleep and downloaded an official transcript of Obama's speech last night. So did he "thank" our troops?? Here are some excerpts...
"Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot."
Sure sounds like he is giving credit to our military...Here is another....
"A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body."
They did it..not him...right? He wasn't finished though...
"After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded."
Stll think he was avoiding our military?? How about this...
"Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice."
Oh wait...there's more...
"We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day."
In case you weren't keeping count...that was 5 times..in a relatively short speech...that the Presdent chose to address our military/ counter-terrorism operatives and congratulate them for their heroism and overall sacrifice. No reason for me to spend time arguing this point...the proof is in his words!!
The next "idea" that seemed to be prevalent among many of my FACEBOOK friends...was that Obama repeatedly used the word "I"...essentially accusing him of taking ALL the credit for this action. Therefore...I took it upon myself to try and differentiate his word usage. First and foremost...the President used the word "I" or "me" 10 times in his speech. It should be noted that most of the "I" usage was with regard to direct orders he was giving the military. Now...how many times did the President use the words "we" or "us"? I might have missed one or two..but I counted 70 TIMES!! "I" 10 times...and "we" or "us"...70 times!! I won't bore you with the percentage comparison...let's just say that this argument DOESN'T HOLD WATER!!
Beyond these two points...there was a variety of angry rhetoric that focused on healthcare...and the President's Birth Certificate. I REFUSE to address either of these issues again...other than to say Universal Health Care was approved by the House and the Senate (though I never think it will see the light of day) and the Birth Certificate issue WAS put to rest several years ago yet LUNATICS wouldn't let it go. Now the President jumps through hoops to provide an "original" BC and it still isn't enough?? I just wish people could see the forrest for the trees!!
Last night was a moment that we should have embraced as a whole...a country united, celebrating the end of decades worth of bloodhsed, tears and misery. Instead...we remain disjointed, partisan and isolated by the walls of our own devisiveness. Again, I reiterate....disagree with his "political views" and my own for that matter...but try not to be so blinded by your own political anger that you can't see ANY good in a pivotal moment in American history. Instead of wasting so much time disparaging the President for what he HASN'T done...how about taking two seconds to say THANK YOU for achieving something that whether you like it or not...didn't/couldn't happen under the watchful eye of President Bush!!
The bottom line is this...there are a lot of people in the US today who have a tremendous amount of egg on their face. Obama was NEVER going to find Bin Laden...I mean...they are both Muslims anyway...he didn't really want to find him!! Once Obama was elected...there would be MASSIVE attacks on our country by terrorists because of his "soft" military stand...right?? In fact...the entire country was going to fall into the dirty, non-christian hands of the Middle East!! So let's recap some of these predictions...
As of May 1, 2011...Congress and the Senate have passed Universal Health Care. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been officially repealed. The United States has slowly healed the fractures that existed between our allies in Europe and elsewhere. The military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan remain...however the situations seem to be stabilizing. We have helped overthrow a Dictator in Egypt, and presently have another one dodging missiles in Libya (sounds eerily familiar to what another REPUBLICAN President did to him in the 80's...right?), and now the world's most wanted fugitive...Satan Incarnate is DEAD!!
Don't get me wrong...this country still has myriad problems!! The economy is bad...people are out of work...terrorism still exists and will continue to exist... and gas prices are headed for the stratosphere. However...can't we agree...in one moment...that last night...President Barach Obama, the military, the CIA and other governmental personnel did something that NO ONE else has been able to do??
Whether you like it or not...agree or disagree...this Presidency unlike its predecessor will NOT be viewed as a FAILURE or a series of bad decisions!! Even if Obama only has 1 term...and that is growing more doubtful by the day...history will view him as a young, energetic, progressive...who perhaps tried too hard to achieve great things in too short a period of time. If that sounds familiar...see William Jefferson Clinton...you know the President that got a "happy ending" in the Oval Office...a.k.a. the last guy that provided this country with a BUDGET SURPLUS!! I wish people could remember that perception is always relative. I see that...I realize that I celebrate a politcal victory while others see it as a defeat!! I also recognize that even my so-called politcal "adversaries" are HUMAN BEINGS!! I didn't like George Bush but I NEVER took part in vicious and unwarranted public attacks and scrutiny against him that I have seen during Obama's short tenure. I was proud of how Bush handled 9-11 and supported his decisions..until we entered Iraq. I also NEVER blamed him or the Federal government for ALL of the tragedy in New Orleans following Katrina. That being said...I find it remarkably ironic how many of these same people relentlessly attacking Obama...were the chief "apologists" and "excuse makers" for all of Bush's misstakes. These were the same people who burned Dixie Chick CD's and assailed Hollywood for their "liberal agenda!!" As I said before...perception is relative!!
This morning I am proud of my President...proud of my military/CIA/etc/...and proud of the resolve exhibited by my beloved yet flawed country. That being said...I continue to be disappointed by friends, family, loved ones...and complete strangers... who refuse to accept ANY of Obama's achievements as "good", "righteous" or for that matter "real." This morning I was addressed in a response and was told that Obama was "my" President. To take a page out of the Right Wing playbook...as long as you CHOOSE to live in this country...he is YOUR President too!!
After 9/11...this country came together in a way that I have never seen. However...it is very apparent to me that as a WHOLE...we are a long way from getting back to that type of unity!! I will leave everyone with a few final words from our President's speech last night. I hope and pray that soon...very soon...we can all live together in what has sadly become a seemingly far removed reality that he speaks of...
"On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family."
Until next time friends...
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