A Centrist’s View on the Obama Presidency
Posted on November 5, 2008
I just wrote an email to my children trying to explain what this election means to our generation. I am a centrist that leans to the right, so I don’t agree with all of Obama’s political views. This election, however, carries much greater meaning to me. So I thought I’d share my email with my readers:
Hi _________, __________, _________, & _________,
Even though I disagree with some of his political views and hope that he will move closer to “center-left,” this election has incredible meaning to Mom and I. I’ve seen a lot of elections in my lifetime, but this is the first one that made me cry. Seeing Jesse Jackson, a man who was very involved in the civil rights movement, cry with disbelief in his eyes was poignant; but for me it was when Obama and his family walked on stage.
We all experience present events through the filter of our past. From my vantage point, I saw a young Kennedy family victorious mostly because of his gift of oratory and the hope his youthful visions promised. He was the first Catholic elected president – overcoming a resistance that went clear back to the founding of our nation. Now this new man and his family have overcome even more.
I remember watching a movie, I think it was Deep Impact, where Morgan Freeman played the President. I thought to myself how good it would be for us if there ever were a black president – how healing it would be. Although I knew someday it would come, I never thought I’d live to see it. But I never thought I’d see the Berlin Wall fall either. My historical filter made those two things seem too far off, taking many more generations to happen.
I was wrong. Sometimes God moves much faster than we think is possible. A whole lot of things had to come together to make both of these events happen. I guess my faith in His timing, and in the American people has grown because of this election of our new President.
What I’m trying to say is I grew up in a wonderful, peaceful place called Birch Bay during a tumultuous time in our history: the Kent State shootings, the assassinations of three leaders (Martin Luther King, Jr., Jack Kennedy, and Bobby Kennedy).
Charles Dickens could have easily been writing about the 60’s when he wrote:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.”
So, for our generation, this election is a culmination of our hopes. Mom and I were never ‘hippies’ but we were a part of that idealistic time. It’s true I wish Obama were more of a centrist, but his presidency is a symbol of our nation’s growth. Sometimes God provides amazing metaphors. Obama isn’t just black. He had a black, African father and a white mother from Kansas. He is a blending of our races. His mulatto heritage makes him a perfect metaphor for the healing of our country. (If you want an idea of our generation’s hopes in this, see the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”)
Well, I know you all realize the historic nature of this event. I guess I just wanted to share how profound it is for us. You were born in a time when prejudice was looked down on. We were born in a time when, in certain parts of the country, it was the accepted norm. The 60’s were a time of fighting against prejudice and hoping for change. 1968 was a major turning point, a major clash of ideologies. The Tet Offensive marked the beginning of the end of the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy exposed the ugliness of racial hatred. It was the end of our youthful, naive idealism and the beginning of real change. We became adults and the world grew up a bit too.
Now, exactly 40 years later, we have a black president with a really weird name moving into the White House. I don’t know if he will be a good leader or not, but the fact of his election fulfills Martin Luther King’s hope that someday a man will be judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin. King died because of those words, our new president is a result of them.
Dad
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Sarah Palin - The Truth Behind the Negative Buzz
Posted on September 15, 2008
This blog is not usually political but I’m getting tired of the half-truths being tossed around about Sarah Palin. So, here’s a copy of an article from my personal blog:
(For a more expanded look at Sarah Palin see this fairly well balanced, and very well footnoted, Wikipedia article)
Here’s the ‘rest of the story’ behind a few of the “issues” bouncing around SP:
The Library Thing (book banning? I don’t think so):
During the time when SP was newly mayor, and, at the same time, the library was updating their book-challenge policy to be identical to other borough libraries, SP asked how Emmons, the library director, felt about censorship should there be protests about a book. SP never mentioned any books that she had in mind and was only asking Emmons her views on the issue. There never was a list of books suggested by Palin. See this article by the local newspaper.
The Trooper Firing Thing:
The trooper in question was SP’s brother-in-law. Several members of her family, including SP, heard him making death threats on her family, in particular, her father. Whether her methods were appropriate can be questioned, but her motives were justified. (If I were in the same position and had the same options open, I think I would have done the same if my Dad’s life was threatened.)
The Bridge to Nowhere Thing:
This nickname implies the bridge actually was proposed to go nowhere. In fact, it was to connect Ketchikan with its airport. Congressed approved the money ($442 million) as part of the 2006 National Dept of Trans appropriations bill. Later, as earmarks became a controversial issue the earmark for the bridges was removed, but the money was still sent to Alaska for use as needed in transportation costs. With the bridge plan scrapped, a road was built at a much higher cost than the bridge would have cost. Alaskan money was used to make up the difference. SP’s sudden flip flop on her position to the bridge earmark is definitely in question, but the bridge project was legitimate and not to “nowhere.”
The Wolf Paw Thing:
(The following is a quote taken from the above mentioned Wikipedia article.)
In 2007, Palin supported the Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing the hunting of wolves from helicopters as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose populations. In March 2007, Palin’s office announced that a bounty of $150 per left front (?) wolf paw would be paid to the 180 volunteer pilots and gunners, to offset fuel costs, which drew protest among the wildlife activitists.
In August, 2007, both lawmakers and Governor Palin approved appropriating $400,000 from the state treasury to explain the aerial hunting program to Alaskans. On August 26, 2008, Alaskans voted against ending the state’s predator control program.
It looks to me that not only SP, but the state legislature AND a majority of the populace voted to continue the program. Alaska has its own unique issues in regards to wildlife. If a predator population grows to the point of creating a serious decline in the population of another species, I think the state should have the right to cull if needed without interference from the feds.
My thoughts:
No politician, SP included, handles things perfectly. You have to view each of them by the overall picture. Many things are being said about SP - some true, some half-truths, and some baseless rumors. I can’t think of a single politician or any Pres or VP that is impervious to deserved and undeserved criticism.
We humans tend to look only at the facts that support our positions. This often leads to the telling of stories that leave out critical details. Now that she has hit the mainstream, Sarah Palin has the joy of being on the receiving end of innuendo.
I still like the gal.
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