So what are we to do? We have a good President -- perhaps a great President. He has angered both the left and the right and he is slowly getting things done. Not being the previous guy in office is also a plus.
So, what do we do? How about we not blow it?
Here is how: You don't give up. Dr. Howard Dean spoke earlier in the week at Fordham University about health care reform, the war and partisan politics. It was sponsored by College Democrats of Fordham University. Here is part of what he said:
Dean told the young voters who helped elect Barack Obama never to take a vacation from politics.
"My generation was a very confrontational generation, we protested and fought for many things," he said. "But then we got burned out and took time off to raise our families and build our careers and things changed. Democracy is a creature of human beings, and it dies if you don’t nurture it.
"This is your president. Barack Obama is your generation’s JFK," Dean said. "Don’t blow it."
I ask again, what are we to do?
Here is what we do: We continue to write letters, and make phone calls and let our voices be heard. Change is never easy. Change is hard, but one thing I can guarantee, is that if people give up -- change will never happen.
I wasn't around while JFK was our President, but I understand what Dr. Dean is saying. I saw it happen during the Clinton years. People were burned out. They were tired, and they stayed back, assuming that other people would be carrying the weight of bringing this nation forward. This is how we got into such a mess. We have a Congress that increasingly doesn't represent the people who elected them, and the financial interests in this country are stronger than ever. That is not a good enough reason to give up. It is just as much your responsibility as well as mine to help our elected officials do the will of the people as opposed to the will of the corporations.
This weekend the President said the following:
we don’t want somebody sitting back saying, "you're not holding the mop the right way". Why don’t you grab a mop, why don’t you help clean up? "You're not mopping fast enough. That's a socialist mop"... Grab a mop –- let’s get to work.
It's a mess that is going to take a lot more than a brilliant politician to clean up. It is going to take every American, old and young to participate in our democracy. For too long people have sat on the sidelines while more sinister forces have gained control of our nation. Now is not the time to be complacent. Now is the time to grab a mop and help the President get this country back in shape. That isn't partisan -- that's American.
I know he isn't perfect. I also know that when perfect becomes the enemy of good, we all lose.
and
Raine
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