If you know me at all, you know that I am not very into the whole political scene. But, like many of you, I did take 51 minutes of my time last night to watch the State of the Union Address. I was impressed with a few things that President Bush said:
"The United States of America will continue to lead."
"We will act boldly in freedom's cause."
"We love our freedom and we will keep it."
"We will never surrender to evil."
"We are winning."
"Hindsight is not wisdom and second guessing is not a strategy."
"We will not sit back and be attacked."
"Make the tax cuts permanent."
"We must confront the high cost of healthcare."
"I ask the congress to pass medical liability reform this year."
"We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity."
All of these statements are great in my opinion, but the greatest thing that our President said was this: "Our greatness is not measured in power or luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another. So we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society."
What more can you say after that? It is a Biblical concept, and our President just challenged all of America to do it! Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, I think that we can all agree that his challenge to all of us is a good one. If we all strive to understand this concept, and live by it, our country, and our world will be a much better place.
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hmmm. .i certainy appreciate the philosophy that is exhibited in the president's words. I fully agree that we, as a culture and as a nation need to be more focused on how we treat our fellow man. . .striving to empower each citizen of this country and to help to support our worldwide neighbors.
Unfortunately, I am afraid that in spite of the President's words, there are many instances of policy and practice that are replete with racism and cronieism that any call to virtue remains, at least in MY opinion, diluted, inconsistent, and even hipocrytical.
The fact that the American government is holding hundreds of individuals as "detainees" without due process based on ethnicity, familial affiliation, or religious background is VERY disconcerting. The refusal of the american government to censure an Oil industry that has gotten fat on profits (note, the last quarter of 2005 boasted RECORD profits in the tens of billions) while the entire economy was squeezed nearly to a point beyond what it could bear is HIGHLY suspicious, considering the president's ties to the leaders of the industry. The failure of the american government to mpose economic sanctions against countries guilty of egregious Human Rights violations such as Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia because of the investments of the oil trade, while all the time waving the flag of democracy and freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan is, in mu opinion, inexcusable.
Don't get me wrong. I am VERY thankful for the blessings in the country and am grateful for my citizenship. I will alwyas be thankful for the individuals, present and past, who have served to protect my rights. . .even my very right to publish this post. However, I am highly skeptical of a leadership who waves the flag of freedom and benevolence, while in reality, appears to be more concerned with supporting the profits of an industry led by friends and relatives than it is about the well being of the nation and the world as a whole.
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