Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The State of the Union Speech Tonight...


Knowing What We Want and Need To Hear Vs. Praying the "Know Nothings" would even Bother to Listen....
In many ways this whole year has not started off New and Afresh. In many ways it feels much like a reoccurring Bad Dream. I turn on the TV and the Same Simpleminded Broken Record Republicans are rambling on incoherently about The Belaboring Costs of Entitlement Programs and some dimwitted Twinkie Pundit Talking Head is nodding Knowingly.....My problem is that I collect speeches and read too much History and constantly am looking for the Lessons in Both... I am not Looking for Soaring Rhetoric or even Comfort, I am looking for Our Leader to lay down some Rules, Some Order. I am tired of the Republicans and The Tea Party acting Childish and Petulant....I want an Adult in the Room to Strongly Put Things Right. So No I am not wanting a Polite Fluffy Feel Good Kumbaya Conciliatory Bipartisan Speech....


What I would Want to Hear to is a Speech that has Muscle that is Exacting and Iron Knuckled....In January of 1941 FDR had to give a speech that was not what was expected and not appreciated by many.... The Four Freedoms Speech was given knowing of the suffering of millions and a country and globe that was still struggling in Economic Crisis....It was about the Human Condition. For FDR recognized that if people were to examine Economic Plight and look for Working Solutions that there had to be acknowledgement of Human Suffering and What Their Needs were and are......This President also faced Grave Unjust foolish Criticism. The Four Freedoms Speech was given during a time of much tension and even division. Roosevelt was trying to help Heal a Country , but also prepare them for Realities as he knew that War was encroaching and was not something morally that could be sidestepped for the long term. Roosevelt understood that the Only Tone that mattered was His and How the American People Heard him, when he gave speeches he remembered Who was Listening.

I mention FDR because he too was called names and even called a Socialist for trying to heal the Country with Jobs Programs. He too was smeared with ill will and lies. The Times may be the same, but the tactics are similar. I think many of us know that there is an uglier slant to the Current Republicans and TeaBaggers that are embracing Racist Undertones, and I wish the Media and Journalists would start reporting it with honesty....But I don't see that happening....I worry for how many years are we going to face a DC run by Small minded White Elderly Men in Suits falsely extolling their " Virtues" and Moral Agenda even blessing it by saying that they have The Bible on "their " side. ( This week alone we heard that One New Repub in DC saying that the Democrats needed a "Come To Jesus Moment" and not a single Reporter of Journalist confronted this kind of reprehensible language and behavior.

I am hoping to hear President Obama speak to us about what We Need, and send a Message to Congress about Us. Because if you read the Four Freedoms....that is is what it was, a Message to the Lawmakers in DC about Americans and their Needs and Lives..... I want him to acknowledge and remember People That helped get him into the White House, people of color, College Students, Working Poor Families, and Middle Class People hanging on the Edge, and People that have Lost their Homes, and yes, Progressive Bloggers and Activists that he has barely acknowledged since he got to DC. I want him to remember single moms and new grads that have no job prospects and unemployed and homeless and Vets that got home to Nothing. I don't want to see him compromising or bending to a bunch of ungrateful two Faced Republicans like McCain and Grassley. I don't want to see his Harvard Smarts I want to see his Chitown Kick Ass Poker Playing side....

I want to see the Obama we saw in Winter of 2008..... I hope he knows that we didn't just work for him to "Lead", we worked for him and Voted for him to Fight For Us....Us Progressive Dems can no longer be maligned to called Socialists.....and the Hate Mongering and Fearmongering by Repubs needs to Stop...It has created a Climate when Democrats can be killed in broad day light and yet we see no Tears from the Repubs....We are at a Tipping Point.
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(( If you want to hear the FDR Speech in it's entirety the American Rhetoric site has it all.))

1 comment:

enigma4ever said...

lol...
speech was middle of the road...strategic...and nothing really for progressivedems...but that is the way of it...