Not unlike many people I am concerned with the direction that the US is heading in. When I heard that Bush won the election I didn’t cry, I didn’t go into mourning or feel like the world had ended. I just shrugged my shuolders and prepared to go to work on important issues.
- This is a nation that is based upon a melting pot of people and religions. Our diversity can be used as a strength or it can be divisive. It all depends on how we use it.
- Separation of church and state is a Good Thing. It is important to be inclusive and not exclusive and for all of it’s inclusiveness religion can hold exclusive qualities.
- Abortion should not be used as birth control, but neither should it be outlawed.
- Education is something that needs more attention. Teachers should be paid more and the profession should be viewed as something that attracts only the best people in the same fashion as Neurosurgeons and cardiologists.
- The Environment is important and we should be conscientous of how we treat our world. Alternative sources of energy should be explored. What would happen if someone like Bill Gates really got behind developing an alternative to oil.
- Dialogue between groups and individuals is important, but when we encounter those who try and obfuscate their true purpose we should not ignore the usefulness of wielding a big stick.
- We may live in a global society, but we as a nation dictate what is important to us.
I may expand on some or all of these at some point in the future. For now let me say that in reference to item number seven I am not suggesting that just because we are bigger we can do what we want. We can argue over the morality of this forever, but with power comes responsibility (Spiderman-got to love those comic books) and when we have the opportunity to try and do something about the dictators and troubled lands in the world we should consider our options.
Bedtime for the children, see you around later.
Even those in disagreement with the war in iraq and the false pretenses that led to it was heralded as advocate of the enemy.Every government tries to marginalize it’s opposition. The Bush admin may have pushed back, but dissent was not silenced.
The truth is distorted to such an extent that saddam was behind 9/11 and every critical question is a threat to national safety.That is a bit of a distortion as well. Millions of Americans had no trouble understanding that the admin was not pushing this idea and understood that Saddam was not behind 911. It is really an unfair premise that you push when you imply in this fashion that everyone is stupid.
wow… these sound so Canadian 😉
So Canadian that I agree with you.
point 1:
Believing in ‘united in diversity’ is believing in santa. Every group in society lives in it’s own world, with it’s own beliefs and convictions. Not just divided by ethnicity but also by social class, religion and moral perception. In the US we see a strong divide between the liberal, well-informed coastal regions and the bible-thumping hicks in the mainland. I don’t think the divide cuts deep, meaning not in the scale of divide we see in eg. the balkan, but enough to question the legitimacy of the forceful conservative agenda. A more moderate agenda would show more respect to the still strong political differences and lessen the gap between republicans and democrats. Only with mutual understanding can you have unity.
point 6:
Who will decide to ‘obfuscate true purpose’ when there is freedom of speech? These are constitutional rights you are taking into question. During bush’ first reign of terror we have seen these rights used as toiletpaper when bush held people in custody without trial or allegation in guantanamo bay. After 9/11 every dissident opinion was perceived as ‘unpatriotic’ and ‘unamerican’. Even those in disagreement with the war in iraq and the false pretenses that led to it was heralded as advocate of the enemy.
The government of any free society must prevent a climate where national leadership dictate opinions. With bush we see the opposite. The truth is distorted to such an extent that saddam was behind 9/11 and every critical question is a threat to national safety.
Zeruel