History 101

Have I mentioned that I adore the Obama’s? Barack, Michele and those darling little girls give me hope that we may have actually turned a corner. Even though it’s important for us to move forward, I also think we have to learn from history, least it repeat itself. In a strange way there’s a part of me that wonders if Bush was a necessary evil. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you are able to move forward and evolve.

It can happen to you
We must never take our way of life for granted, after all who ever thought that hanging chads, Guantanamo and the Patriot Act would become part of our daily lexicon.

Do the Right Thing
That old saying “there is nothing to fear, but fear itself” sums up the Bush years. Dubya used fear to appeal to the lowest common denominator and as a result held the world hostage for eight years. We must have the courage to rise above fear in order to make good, sound decisions.

Can’t we all just get along?
Does anyone else find it ironic that a man who surrounded himself with Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rove had the nerve to refer to others as the “axis of evil”? Bush’s lack of diplomacy and refusal to work with allies’ undermined America’s reputation and power. The reality is the world has changed; no one can afford to go it alone.

Show me the money
Clinton left office with a surplus of just over $236 Billion – Bush leaves office with a deficit of over $10 trillion - and who says that men don’t like to spend money?

Times of War
War is not always the solution and should only be used as a last resort. Even if there had been weapons of mass destruction, it would have been ill advised to go into Iraq with guns blazing. In reality, the Middle East is a very complicated place, of which Bush did not have a good understanding. Not to mention that our brand of democracy isn’t necessarily the solution. As a result of the war in Iraq we have lost countless innocent lives, created the mother of all jihads, produced instability in an already troubled part of the world, and ignored countries that might actually be a real threat to our well being.

The American Dream
We keep hearing that Barack represents the American dream; the real miracle is the fact that Bush ever became president. While it is true that both Clinton and Obama came from humble backgrounds, they were also exceptional scholars, with a history of success in their chosen careers. Bush on the other hand, had a poor academic record and left a string of failed business ventures in his path. Shouldn’t we aspire to have the best and brightest as our world leaders?

Who’s the Man?
The days of middle aged white man ruling the world are coming to an end. Truth is most of our families look more like Obama’s, a mix of nationalities, races, religions, and sexual orientation. I look at some of the people in my world – Josie, Brielle, Christopher and Maturos – and see the beautiful faces of the future. We need leaders that represent more than just the Christian right, and are able to recognize that diversity is one of the building stones of life.