The inauguration of America’s first African-American President will soon be upon us. No one can argue that this is a historic event in our country’s history. Who knows? Some day we may even elect a woman as President.I’m not here to talk about gender or race though. What I do want to discuss is the unbelievably vast amount of things that many people are expecting President-Elect Obama to be able to accomplish when he gets in to office. I fear that there are going to be a great many disappointed people when they discover that our new President will not be able to wave a magic wand and make everything that they want instantly appear.Our country is in the midst of an economic and social crisis. The official types have finally admitted that we’ve been in a recession for almost a year. Will we continue to fall and wind up in a depression? The rate of job losses and home foreclosures shows no sign of slowing. At this rate we stand a good chance of falling into a depression.With a massive national dept, several wars, job losses, and all the other problems facing us our soon to be inaugurated President is going to have his hands full.
History is an excellent teacher. Let’s take a look back to see what happened to other President’s faced with national crises during office:- Franklin D. Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression when unemployment stood around 25%. I find it interesting that he blamed the depression on bankers and financiers, the quest for profit, and the self-interest basis of capitalism, a situation very similar to the one we are in now. While he was able to pass much legislation during his first 100 days in office, there were many who opposed him. This opposition followed him into his second term where he was unable to pass much legislation through Congress. Roosevelt was elected to a historic 4 terms in office, but what really brought this country back to its feet was World War II. Personally, I don’t think we need any more wars.
- Jimmy Carter had his share of economic problems while he served in office. When he took office in 1977 America was suffering rising economic inflation and an energy crisis. He accomplished a great deal of good while he was in office: creation of the Departments of Energy and Education, establishment of a national energy policy, the famous Camp David accord, and the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, he had many problems with Congress and was unable to get much of the legislation that he wanted passed by Congress. Very few people think of him as a good president.
So, what does this say for our next President? We need to be realistic about what he will be able to accomplish. Cities, counties, states, and even the Federal Government are getting fewer tax revenues to use to pay for all the services and support that the people need. With little funds to draw upon, there is only so much that anyone can do. We’re in a big mess. We did not get here overnight. We will not get out of this mess overnight either.
I’m not the only one thinking this way either. Check out this political cartoon by Chris Jurek. It was selected as one of the top 10 political cartoons by Time magazine.
Are you an average American like me? Then you too can all forget about getting anything from the bailouts that our elected officials are handing out to wealthy business executives.While the fortunate ones are treating themselves to spa visits and bonus checks (just because they change the name doesn’t change what it is), I’ve been digging down under the cushions in the couch looking for fallen change. The $29.50 that I managed to dig up has to cover all my expenses for a while. Good thing ramen noodles are 10 packages for $1!No, I’m not trying to sound like “woe is me”, I’m lucky in that I still have my house. There are many, many more people in worse shape than me. I may only be working part-time but I know lots of people who don’t even have a job. I see people standing on street corners who don’t even have a home.It would be nice if the government would hand out some of those $700 billion dollars to us average Americans. Unfortunately, I don’t think that is going to happen. After all, the only way to get anything is to already have lots of money to begin with. If you can’t “donate” lots of money to a politician you’re not going to get anything from that politician other than a form e-mail/letter that basically says nothing.The only one who is going to save the average American is the average American. We’ve got to take care of each other because we’re all we’ve got. Looking for an example: check out this story I saw on CNN about a local, retired, businessman who has bought back his old store rather than see his former employees turned out into the street. Because of his actions there are 17 people who get to keep their jobs.
From lots of single snowflakes an avalanche is formed. Even if you can only do a little to help someone (and helping yourself counts too), it is one more snowflake to add to the pile.
Recently a very good friend of mine had to go to the hospital. I know that she'll get better, but it will be a long road to recovery. However, her illness got me to thinking about friendship in general.
Humans are by nature social beings. We need the company of others. Very few of us could survive for long without having other people around. We need some kind of contact with others, however fleeting.
Look up the word friends in the dictionary and you find:
- A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
- A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
- A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
- One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement.
The concept of a friend can encompass many different people in your life: family members, husband, wife, children, and just about anybody else. I think that the person you are married to or live with should be more than someone that "you love", they should be a friend too. My feeling is that if they can't be a friend, why are you in love with them?
Friends can be like a family members too. When you don't have any family, recruit some friends to be your family – they are the best type because you get to pick them!
Lastly, the holidays are upon us again. Here's a suggestion: don't give in to commercialism, instead let your friends know how much you appreciate their support. You don't have to spend a bunch of money, just give them a call or send them a card. Sometimes the simplest things can have the biggest impact.
Did you get a chance to hear Barack Obama’s Closing Argument speech? View it here at YouTube, or read it here at Politico. Regardless of who you are planning on voting for, you should read or listen to what he said.
I’m not here to tell you who to vote for. I’ve made up my mind and by now most people have too. However, I want to talk about a few things that Obama said in his speech that gave me hope for a better world at a time when I’d just about run out of hope.
In his speech Obama talked of Americans working together towards a common goal. On the surface this seems like such a simplistic idea, but it is a concept that is urgently needed now. For too long we have been a nation divided: blue states vs. red states; ethnic race vs. ethnic race; citizens vs. illegal alien; straight vs. gay; have vs. have not; the list goes on and on. We have become a nation filled with angry people and violence is on the rise because of it.
We have to stop and realize that we are all part of the same country, even the same planet. Here’s a quote from the speech: “There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you.” We need to agree to disagree. We need to remember that everyone, every single person is unique with their own view of the world and their own opinions.
We need to move in a new direction as a nation. We need to regain our belief that tomorrow can truly be a better day. We need hope. Here’s another quote: “Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. … I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a president to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope — to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.”
Regardless of which candidate winds up in the White House in 2009 and beyond I would like to hope that we can pull together and fix the big mess that this country is in. It will not be easy to dig our way out of the pit we’re in. Unless we roll up our sleeves and work together, nothing is going to change and things will only get worse.
My vote is for hope.
I don't know about you, but I've had enough! All the political fighting and mud slinging. All the bad news about our economy. Suicide bombers in the Middle East. Home invasions and murders. It's all just too much.
Since my proverbial tilt meter has gone off, I decided to try and find some good news. I must admit that it took some hunting, but there is some out there. Here are a few sites you can visit if you are like me:
There have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of self-help books written that talk about the power of positive thinking. Maybe that's what we need right now, some positive thinking. So here's my advise to everyone (myself included): turn off the regular news stations, put down that newspaper, quit reading that negative Web site, and check out one of the good news links listed above.
Maybe when we're all in a better mood we can find a way to fix the problems we're facing.
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