Where Are We Going?

I've been thinking quite a bit lately, in the light of some things that have happened, about where we're going and what might happen if Barack Obama somehow wins not only the Democrat nomination for President, but also the Presidency itself come November. I've been thinking a lot more about it in light of Mr. Obama's claims for "hope," "change," and a departure from the "old politics." Let's look at some recent news items and discussions that show us where we would ACTUALLY be headed, should Mr. Obama win the November election.

First is a wonderful piece from the always insightful and relevant Peggy Noonan over at the Wall Street Journal. Her piece from last week talks about the resentment bred in average folks by what our country has become in the wake of 9/11 (fear of terrorism), the Iraq war (lack of patriotism, or at least, American feeling), and how those changes have affected both liberals and conservatives. For example, she talks about how liberals like Mr. Obama (and let's be honest here...he's a liberal, regardless of what he says; the record speaks for itself) bristle when they have their patriotism questioned, even in oblique ways. However, the charges don't stem because people think they're unpatriotic; it's because they seem to truly hate all of America's history and past, they act and speak as though America's present is completely wrong, and they behave as though EVERYTHING in and about America and its future MUST change. They claim to support the troops but they vote to reduce their funding and they support the illegitimate actions of cities like San Francisco that do everything possible to run the military out of town on a rail. They're NOT proud of America, ever...they're ashamed of America every day, and it's only when America considers a man like Mr. Obama for president that they are really proud of their country, for the first time in their life (to paraphrase Mrs. Obama). Would you be wrong to question the patriotism of anyone, let alone a presidential candidate, who spoke and behaved in this way? On the other hand, Ms. Noonan, talks about how conservatives are looking back to Reagan more than ever, precisely because their party (primarily in the form of George W. Bush) has let them down so badly. Increased government spending, amnesty for illegal aliens, misguided actions in the Iraq war, a general appearance of not being connected to his base, particularly over the past 2-3 years. I suggest you read the article in full and see if you can disagree with the points it makes.

Then we have today's revelation regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his recent remarks about "public crucifixion" for his past comments during his sermons. I don't really need to rehash them, because I'm sure we've all heard them by now. Obama made a very nice speech regarding his connection to Rev. Wright, and he has distanced himself (sort of) from his pastor. But let's face it; Obama sat in that pew for 20 years listening to this man. Whether he agrees or disagrees, he must come out categorically and disagree, or he should have left the church and let it be know why. But that's neither here nor there; again, those points have been hashed and rehashed by more competent commentators than I.

Next is today's report of Rev. Al Sharpton inciting riots in New York City after the acquittal of three NY policemen in a murder case. I can certainly understand the anger that has risen from the verdict. It's a difficult situation for anyone to fairly judge; how many of you have been under direct fire or felt you were about to be fired upon, by live weapons firing live ammunition? I don't count myself in that number. I don't put my life on the line every day. On the other hand, police officers must be responsible and use deadly force only as a last resort, in defense of themselves or other innocents. Again, a difficult case. But the more difficult aspect is what always seem to happen when blacks don't have it their preferred way: they riot. And their "leaders" such as the Rev. Sharpton only make the situation worse. It's shades of the OJ Simpson case, this time in reverse. Everyone knew (and still knows) OJ probably did it. But the verdict is the verdict. You didn't have whites out rioting because they didn't like the verdict. We may disagree, but we accept the verdicts of the system. No one has gone out and assassinated OJ for his crimes. No one has turned over cars or burned houses or looted stores because of this disagreement. Blacks never seem to follow these simple conventions, and it comes from a completely different world-view.

That is the crux of this post. I will not vote for Mr. Obama, but not because he is black. I will not vote for Mr. Obama because I do not agree with his positions on many issues. If this makes me a racist, then so be it. But I would also point to millions of blacks who will vote for Mr. Obama ONLY because he is black. How would my reason be racist, but theirs not racist? There are also millions of whites who will vote for Mr. Obama because he is black. Is this also not racist, the sort of reverse racism that whites are guilted into by liberals of all stripes and colors? If you ever vote for anyone merely because of their skin color, and NOT because of their positions on the issues, you are racist; any liberal will tell you that (well, if you're white and voting for a white person, anyway). If Mr. Obama excoriates those who are racist and claims that race plays such a huge part of this election, how is this a change from old politics?

I blame Rev. Wright, Rev. Sharpton, and Mr. Obama for bringing race into everything and making it impossible for us to transcend race. Martin Luther King was a true visionary and believed that there could a a true brotherhood of man, where whites and blacks lived side-by-side in equality. Well, I suppose in a twisted way, Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Wright, and Mr. Obama are realizing their dream; they have revealed that we ARE all equal...equally racist.

The net outcome of this also demonstrates the patriotism problem of liberals. Take, for example, Rev. Wright's past statements from his sermon. "America's chickens coming home to roost." "God d*** America." "The United States of KKK America." He speaks in these cases as though neither he nor those in his audience are part of America. That's another clue to the puzzle. I'll give Rev. Wright and Rev. Sharpton the benefit of the doubt that they are Christian men, so I'll assume that God has the #1 spot in their lives. But it's obvious that America isn't second, or perhaps even third. Maybe the #2 spot is family, or church. Whatever the order, there is a key distinction that these black men and their followers appear to make in their life priorities, and that is that they are black before they are American. They are loyal to their blackness before they are loyal to their city, state, or country. This is anti-American, as in against the principles that America is founded upon, and it is this aspect that makes average Americans question the patriotism of men like Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama appears to set his priorities thusly: #1 God (again, giving him the benefit of the doubt as a "man of faith," as he claims to be), #2 family, #3 race, #4 the entire world, #5 America. I'm hoping America has a #5 spot, anyway; there may be others that stand ahead of even that lowly position. I know very few white Americans who would put race before country.

To a degree, Rev. Wright, Rev. Sharpton, and Mr. Obama are all doing the things they have been brought up to do in today's American socio-political culture: if someone disagrees with you, or if you don't like something, make yourself the victim, and you will win. Notice how Rev. Wright audaciously compares himself to Jesus Christ, the ultimate victim for all mankind, with his "public crucifixion" remark. Rev. Wright makes all blacks the victim of the unusual verdict from last week. Mr. Obama makes himself a victim of "old politics" and racism. It's what they do, because it's what they've learned to do. It works for them. But again, how is it a change from "old politics" to use the tricks of "old politics"? Where's the change you claim to represent, Mr. Obama? Why aren't you out trumpeting the line of Martin Luther King himself, "judge me not by the color of my skin, but the content of my character"? Martin Luther King represented true change, he began the change, and you are even now betraying it. Whether they learned that it works, their racial victimhood MUST become irrelevant if Mr. Obama's change is to come about in America, the America of he and the other black leaders are a part of. This folly is doubled not only by these men's belief that as blacks they are always victims, but also by their apparent belief that I cannot rise above my own prejudices.

So, the big question becomes, where ARE we going?

I don't believe for a second that, if Mr. Obama is elected president, all our societal wounds will be magically healed. I also don't believe that Mr. Obama would truly change politics in America and rise above the old ways. He is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, and if that's your thing, so be it, but it isn't mine. As I said, I wouldn't vote for him because it's obvious he wants to move the country even further toward socialism. He wants to weaken America's position in the world, both militarily and diplomatically (yes, those two are inextricably linked; you can't be strong diplomatically without the necessary force to back up the diplomatic solution). He's already said his first goal in Iraq would be to withdraw, as quickly as possible. That in itself isn't bad, but if our withdrawal makes Iraq a worse place than it already is, how is that progress? It only shows our antagonists that they just have to wait us out, wait for us to get bored, wait for the next news cycle, and they can win. I am an American citizen, born and bred, and it is my right to disagree with anyone and withhold my vote from anyone who I feel would make America a worse place than it already is.

Have we lost our will? Have we become so complacent? Are we ready to give in to fear? Is America today, so big and beautiful and powerful after 200 years of hard work and sacrifice, ready to collapse on itself from the inside? To me, that is the real question of what this election represents. Yes, regardless of the outcome, America will live on. It isn't dead yet. But look at Europe and its member states; France, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, all have been around for centuries, much longer than the ol' USA. What did they have to do to be taken seriously in the world again? They had to join, to become the European Union, and even then, they're economically irrelevant and can't solve their own societal issues. Their guilt from their past, driven by intellectualist-socialist idiots, has killed their drive to grow, build, and succeed, and has weakened them all. Look at Spain's last big election; one bombing in Madrid, and the whole country goes into its shell like a turtle and completely succumbs to the terrorists' demands of withdrawal and surrender. Is that what we want? "Just leave us alone, let us do our own thing, and don't bother us"? Are we patriots who believe America was built on strong principles and hard work, or have we lost our history?

Mr. Obama doesn't wear a flag pin because he believes "dissent is patriotic." And it is, but all of this comes down to whether or not you are proud to be an American. It comes down to whether or not you want America to continue to grow in strength and prosper in wealth. It comes down to whether or not, at the end of the day, regardless of your skin color, your history, your family's history, your country's history, you are proud of who you are and what country you are from. Mr. Obama and Revs. Wright and Sharpton are not proud to be American. The liberal wing of the Democrat party is not proud to be American.

I'll close with a counterexample, one I saw all the way back in 7th grade. At our school, there was a teacher there who headed up the "I Can" program. Indeed, their slogan was "I CAN because I am an AmerICAN." I never had a class with him, but I heard him speak many times that year. He was incredibly positive and inspirational. He was a great man, and he tried to teach us all that we could be great, too, if we believed in ourselves and worked hard. He was greatly loved by all students there and greatly respected by his peers and principals. He was proud of who he was and what he had done, and he was proud to be an American. Unfortunately, I don't remember his name, and I wish I could, because he deserves special mention.

I do remember one thing about him in particular, though. He was black.

Thanks for reading along.