The state of our Union is sad
A friend of mine told me how disgusted she is with her efforts to bring something decent to the people of her hometown, only to be rejected and talked about in unsavory ways. She lamented that her husband has backed her in this effort and now she feels bad because there is, in her opinion, nothing to show for the money invested.
I of course disagree with her because of the number of people now gainfully employed by the business that is succeeding. Regardless of the failure of a couple of other ventures she has made a difference in a critical need area, and that to me is a success.
In an area with a small market of people to draw from it is not easy to establish a quality act that succeeds. People have a rut mentality and seldom if ever appreciate overtures to change for the better if they have to work or pay for it.
I compare her situation to that of President Obama. A good man comes to town with fresh ideas and energy. Rather than embrace him as a change agent people would rather he just maintain the status quo after painting it a new color. Don’t change anything, just make it look different. Regardless of what the President says in his State of the Union address, the state of our union is sad. I wanted to hold off writing this week’s column until after his speech to hopefully include quips and comments I thought would change the nation’s current malaise.
It was only after considering how different he is from our preceding forty-three presidents that I realized there was no reason for me to wait. President Obama will not lie about the state of our union, nor will he serve as a pacifier for those wanting to hear him apologize for trying to bring about change.
The poison of partisanship has taken a severe toll on the political process in our nation. A decision by republicans to vote no on everything presented by the president is a scurrilous act of treason, and should be an insult to every citizen regardless of our political persuasion.
We are being denied valuable needs in the areas of health and the environment, education and home ownership. The bickering in congress permeates down to main street causing otherwise sane citizens to vote against their own best interests.
Back in the day that was called cutting off your nose to spite your face. Not waiting to hear the president speak about the state of our nation makes me wonder if not doing so will cause me to miss something important that would look good in this week’s column.
Probably – but I wanted to establish my assessment of things without his help. I support the president and know his address will be relevant, have impact, and be the remedy for what ails America today.
I already know republicans will once again sit on their assets and refuse to support his antidote to the poison partisanship has spread across America. I am confident enough in my analysis to believe whatever he says will coincide with what I have written, but he will be a lot more subtle and polite.
For readers of my words cringing at my blunt trauma to the heads wanting to believe our nation is in the wrong hands, please be advised that it is not. It was for eight years but no more. For eight years too many Americans allowed themselves to be frightened by an administration using fear as a political tool.
We were lied too repeatedly, had our civil and equal rights bent, stapled and mutilated; and to add insult to injury we were sold to China. Unless we decide as taxpayers and voters to demand better government we will continue to be a sad lot.
We will pass on to future generations a legacy of whining rather than winning, fearing rather than fighting. Fellow citizens the state of our union is sad but we can change it, and we should.
By Frank Garrett, Jr., The Austin Times columnist
Garrett can be heard live Monday through Thursday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Garrett-Radio
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