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On my way home last night I saw this bumper sticker:
If You Aren't Outraged, You Haven't Been Paying Attention
Apparently, this bumper sticker is a leftover from the Bush administration. It must be, since I have yet to see a bumper sticker denouncing (or criticizing) Mr. Obama. Of course, the argument can be made that any bumper sticker showing an American flag is critical of the current administration, but that's another article.
So. The lack of criticism is kind of refreshing since I really think we are all exhausted with the vitriol which greeted (and sustained) Mr. Bush's administration. It was eight years, and there were t-shirts (and bumper stickers) which announced the 'End of an Error' (this past January), Mr. Bush as a warmonger, baby-killer, etc. And then, of course, the conspiracy theorists who swear Mr. Bush had something (or everything) to do with 9/11, the bombing of the Cole (in Yemen), the embassy bombings in Africa and pretty much every other terror attack. If not directly, then his policies are what drove otherwise ordinary young men to become suicidal and murderous. And yes, these were ordinary young men, not terrorists. Just listen to the media spin (from one side of the spectrum) which is believed wholeheartedly by more people than you would expect.
These days, though, there seems to be a problem with Mr. Obama's supporters. His detractors (of course) dislike anything he does, mostly because this is a partisan gut-reaction. This has little (if anything) to do with race, yet again more people disagree with this than you would expect. It has to do with partisanship, pure and simple, and a way for those on the right to 'get back' at those on the left, those who questioned and doubted every motive of Mr. Bush.
The problem with the supporters of Mr. Obama is that they cannot step forward as Mr. Obama would like to. They continue to compare Mr. Bush to Hitler, or Stalin, and forget the simple fact their man is in the White House. Any criticism of Mr. Obama is greeted by 'at least he doesn't kill babies', or 'at least he's not lying to us as Bush did'. Of course, if you are completely partisan that means you are blind to truth, instead following what your party (or the head of your party) says. There is nothing wrong with being proud of being Republican or Democrat, yet that doesn't give you the right to forget truth. In fact, you have the obligation of learning the truth as an American, and you have an obligation to move forward with the times.
So. Enough of Mr. Bush and the 'terrible things' he did. Enough of blame and recrimination. Use that energy to support the president and this country. If you didn't vote for Mr. Obama and don't like his policies, fine: come up with something else, some other idea and put that forward. If you do support Mr. Obama, have some thicker skin and realize in America it is possible to disagree with a black man without being racist. Also realize Mr. Bush is long-gone, and there is nothing that will bring him back. Running through the tired old list of 'crimes' might have been sport while Mr. Bush was in office, yet now - these days - it seems like flailing. As if there is no argument to support your president except for the ready 'yeah? Well Bush did that!'
Enough of leftovers. Move forward. Remember, after everything, Mr. Obama is our president. This is our country. Let's act like it.
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