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Authors, sign in!Election night was a great night, and one much needed by a nation whose spirits had been beaten and broken continuously for years on end. I can recall (somehow) discussing with a friend of mine on election night where we were four and eight years ago.
Four years ago I was amidst a sea of democrats, dejectedly looking at election results as the final verdict came in, four years prior to that it was an even greater heartbreak. Now I know it's hard to believe, but I am not a fan in the least of George W. Bush's policies, especially environmentally. Yet through all of that, I tried to never lose sight of a couple of things.
- George W. Bush was (and still is) our president, and was elected by a majority of the nation's population (sort of), and at the very least deserves the respect that goes with the office of the president.
- You can disagree with a person substantively and still respect them (in theory). Albeit, this was harder at times, but we all have lofty goals.
- Resorting to personal attacks in the context of an argument is inefficient and a devolution of reason
That being said, I’m looking forward to 69 days from now. George W. Bush has been an incredibly dangerous president in terms of substantive environmental policy, civil liberties, and foreign policy.
Why do I even mention any of this? Because for the past week I’ve listened to those who once claimed that dissidence of the current sitting president makes you un-American, even if you're disagreeing on policy. Let's be clear, the only thing that makes you un-American is claiming someone else is.
I know a lot of republicans (if any) won't be reading this, but the internet is a large place, so I want to make a plea. Disagree with our president-elect on economic policy, Iraq, civil liberties, but do so respecting his viewpoint. Certainly it may not be the easiest thing to do, I can attest to that, but civic progress depends on it. Petty character attacks serve no one's best interests. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "We may have come on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now."
Published November 12, 2008 by Matthew Musgrove |
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| Tags:
Barack Obama
George W. Bush
Martin Luther King
Patriotism
Public Policy
Comments (3)
When a leader ceases to behave respectfully, the best way that we can show patriotism is not by continuing to respect that leader, but by respecting our country despite the leader.
George W. Bush has ceased to deserve respect and we do our country no favors by giving him respect he no longer deserves.
Posted by Nora Thomason
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November 12, 2008 8:43 PM
Posted on November 12, 2008 20:43
Matthew, while I respect your point of view and your open mind, I also respectfully disagree with you that we should show respect for a human being who so glibly sent our men and women to die at the hands of people given the label Insurgents, when if another country invaded our homeland we would no doubt take up arms to defend our nation, thus making us insurgents as well. Our losses do not come close to the losses of over 650,000 Iraqis who lost their lives due to a president who has shown utter disdain to the American way, and might I add, has no respect for others. He does not share my morals, nor does he care about how our nation is viewed by onlookers who poke fun because we "elected" him. The facts point to a fixed election, so I am highly suspect that he ever was elected. His past defies what he claims to represent. He failed his primary objective of upholding our Constitution. He will not acknowledge his mistakes, he condones the torturing of human beings, he lies and he cares nothing of future generations in countless ways. I believe the man to be a criminal. I do not have enough time nor desire to continue this rant, but if I did, then I might as well write an enormous novel or two to list his negligence. I am and always have been a patriot, and so on the point you make about it being un-American to label someone other than that I will concede. I thrive on forgiveness, if for no other reason than to be okay in my own heart. However, when someone crosses over with the intent of maliciousness and does not admit his wrongdoings and ask to be forgiven or at the very least apologize for his transgressions, I find it very difficult to forgive, much less display respect. That would be lying to myself and I will not drop my guard to be trounced on again, thus I would be disrespecting myself.
Posted by Denise Cassells
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November 13, 2008 2:02 AM
Posted on November 13, 2008 02:02
You're right Denise, your comment simply was [bleep..several sentences.. bleep] you. I thought the above article was written in a very fair manner, except for that "incredibly dangerous" reference made in the 6th paragraph.
I'm going to sign off for now Denise, because I think you have a colossal case of BDS (Bush derangement syndrome) to attend to.
Good luck!
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Posted by Greg Petersen
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February 25, 2009 1:09 AM
Posted on February 25, 2009 01:09