United We Stand

Hi!

On September 21, 2001, Brandi and I were driving to Payson for a last weekend away before Joshua was born. That night, President Bush was making his post-9/11 address to a joint session of Congress. A transcript of that address is here. Brandi and I listened to it on the radio...

Neither of us had voted for Bush and weren't happy that he'd successfully stolen the election, but he was the President of the United States and we were ready to stand by him in this time of crisis. When Bush said "Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done." I was hopeful that he'd go after the perpetrators of that heinous crime and show the world that we practice what we preach. Unfortunately, by the end of his speech, all I could think was, "He's going to use this as justification to start a war..." Of course, he used it as justification to start two wars.

The political maneuverings that ensued were the stuff of Hollywood. Anyone who disagreed with the Administration's pro-war policy was labeled "anti-American" and "unpatriotic." Bush and his ilk hid behind "United We Stand" rhetoric as an attempt to suppress dissent. It made me sick, especially because it worked... I wasn't a registered Democrat and still am not one, but Bush's actions forced me to vote as if I were.

These days, we have a different President and a different crisis, but what's necessary is the same: We need a healthy debate with a commitment to get something done for the good of the country. The difference is that the GOP has lost all the "United We Stand" rhetoric and its leaders are openly calling for Obama to fail. Right-wing talking heads, like Glenn Beck, are fueling the fire and it's gotten so bad that GEICO, and others, have pulled their ads from his show. This is blatant hypocrisy, folks.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should get in line behind Obama, like we were asked to do with Bush. Healthy debate is, well, healthy. Hate speech is not. When Glenn Beck called President Obama a racist, he wasn't furthering the debate on healthcare or economic recovery, he was...well, I don't even know. Being ridiculous comes to mind, especially since Obama's mother is a member of the racial group for which Beck claimed that Obama has a "deep-seated hatred."

We're all in this together. As President Lincoln famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Let's end the hate speech and get back to healthy debate. We don't have to stand on the same side on all the same issues, but we do need to stand, and talk, together.

Thanks,
Matt