The Sounds Of Silence and The Obama Administration

News reports today reported that a California man had been arrested for making deaths threats towards Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Of The House. I do not know the man's motivations at this point but there is likely a high probability it had something to do with Pelosi's part in forcing through Obama's health care reform bill. Why I vehemently disagree with both the contents of the bill and the slimy way it was ramrodded through Congress, I have also never advocated violence in this case or any other case to attain political means. Violence accomplishes nothing constructive. It leaves destruction in its path and leaves the opposing sides even more bitterly divided, making a solution even more difficult to attain. This type of behavior, directing violence towards anyone involved in the political process, is the earmark of backward and corrupt countries, not one striving to be the primary democracy for all of mankind.

However, now that I have stated my position, let me say that President Obama has done nothing to tone the rhetoric that has caused America to become even more divided in the past year or so. Some of these examples have been discussed previously in this blog and some are new but consider the following sounds of silence from Obama:

• When Nancy Pelosi called certain Americans unpatriotic and un-American because they did not support Obama's health care plan, even though they were just exercising their freedom of speech right, Obama was silent.
• When an Obama czar called Republicans assholes, Obama was silent.
• When a Democratic Congressman called Republicans "knuckle dragging Neanderthals," Obama was silent.
• When a D-list actress was getting more than her fair share of attention when she categorized those that disagreed with Obama's views as being racists, Obama was silent.
• When Henry Reid said that Americans visiting their nation's capital physically smelled, Obama was silent.
• When Democratic members of Congress likened those that disagreed with Obama's health care plan to be like those racists that opposed the civil rights bills from long ago, Obama was silent. I find this sound of silence particularly despicable in that I should not be called a racist because I disagree with a government approach to solving a problem. Most sane people know that something has to be done to curtail high health care costs in this country but we should have the freedom to disagree on how to fix that problem without being labeled as racists.
• When Karl Rove was recently driven from a speech event he was scheduled to give, and to freely express his opinions, by hecklers that approached him waving handcuffs (source: The Week magazine, April 9, 2010 issue), Obama was silent.
• When rioting outside of a Canadian university location forced Ann Coulter to cancel a speech that she should have been able to give (source: April 9, 2010 issue of the The Week magazine), Obama was silent.
• When Beck, Palin, and Limbaugh get death threats, Obama is silent.

Many more times than not I do not agree with the contents or the tone of the words spoken by Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, Rove, and Coulter. I have never voted for a Republican for national office in my life. I do not think their actions generally contribute to the solving of problems facing Americans today. In fact, I believe that angrily reacting to them only encourages and strengthens them. However, they have the right to express those opinions regardless of what political positions they take. This tolerance of diverse views is a vital, vital part of freedom in America for everyone, regardless of their political bent.

If Obama was a great American leader, he would have the same opinion. He would not allow any American to be called a racist, a Neanderthal, smelly or an asshole for having their own personal opinion. As President, he should be protecting ALL of the rights of ALL Americans. That's what a great leader would do. However, it appears that we are finding that Obama is just another politician that will allow the various tribes in America to tear themselves apart as long as they continue to elect the same old, tired politicians. Seems to me that Obama is like Bob Rumson in the movie, "The American President":

"And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections."

The President is not interested in protecting EVERY American's freedom of speech. He is only interested in staying in office, energizing his tribe, and keeping as much of his party's members in office with him, even if it means allowing the name calling and the death threats to continue. A leader would never allow that to happen. Consider the lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkel classic, "Sounds Of Silence":

People hearing without listening,

People talking without speaking.

This is where America is today. We talk (or yell) at each other without giving each other the respect of listening to each other. And given Obama's track record, his sounds of silence will keep America divided for years to come and the problems facing the country unsolved for at least as long.


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