Opinion: This is the speech Obama never gave and Trump never will.
By Stuart J. Moskovitz
This nation is in the midst of a crisis. I’m not talking about the economy, or foreign policy or even terrorism. I am talking about a crisis that is worse than even those three. Let’s call it the fourth horseman.
We have encountered crises in this nation before. Many times. There is not a crisis this nation has faced that it has not overcome and become stronger. I believe we can do that with the economy. i believe we can do that with foreign policy. I even believe we can do that with terrorism. For the fourth crisis, however, I need your help. Everyone’s help. Each and every citizen and resident of this nation, no matter where you came from, how you got here, what your race, religion or national origin is, what your political beliefs are.
Without your help, it will be the first crisis this nation does not overcome, and it will be devastating.
When the founding fathers started this great nation, they understood that we had thirteen separate colonies with thirteen different backgrounds, economies, religious beliefs, ideas. They were as different as could be. The entire Constitution was written with that in mind, that we needed a foundation to bridge our differences and become one United States.
We are more divided now than even in the sixties and maybe even during the Civil War. We haven’t gone to war yet, maybe because the differences are so fundamental, so pervasive, so widespread, we cannot divide along simple lines like we did in the Civil War.
This is a problem we have to solve. It is not a problem we will solve with violence. It is not a problem we will solve with insults or discrimination. It is not a problem we will solve with lack of respect for each other’s views or ideas. The First Amendment is the First Amendment for a reason. The founding fathers recognized it was a huge gap in the Constitution and fixed it immediately. Our survival depends on it.
But our survival also depends on civility. There is no amendment requiring civility. The founding fathers actually did not see a need for such an amendment. If they were alive today, they might feel very differently.
As we did at the time our nation was founded, we have different views, radically different views. We resolved those differences by having open and honest discussion, debates in the Federalist Papers, arguments, even loud ones in sessions of the Constitutional Congress. We resolved them because we were willing to listen, debate, refute and resolve.
We do not do that today. It is fashionable on the left and the right to say the other side is stupid, wrong, dangerous, evil. Those who wish to resolve differences are deemed weak, ineffective, useless.
That is a formula for disaster. It is a formula for destruction of this great Republic. We have had eight years of the most divisive politics – from all sides – certainly since the Civil War. We don’t need another Franklin Pierce, either ignoring these differences, or fanning their flames.
After eight years, it is difficult to calculate how many more years we can go without changing course. Possibly four more years may be too long. This November, we had better elect someone who can unify the nation. Someone who insults and belittles, incites violence and divides one group from another, might be good at real estate deals, but would be no more effective at unifying this country than a community organizer.
We will take steps this November to rectify the divisions of this country with an individual capable of speaking calmly and capably, with the ability to be persuasive, not just insulting, or we will face the most dire consequences. This time, Heaven may not help us if we fail to help ourselves.
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with all due respect, you, and all of us,are entitled to our opinions and take, on all the issues of the day, and “state of our union..” Here’s some of mine, along with many other like- minded individuals: if we don’t recognize the collapse of the nuclear family( aided and abetted by the ever-increasing welfare state,) and the coarsening of our popular culture( aided and abetted by many Hollywood deviants,) and the constant barrage of radical left- wing views and practice, in government,media, education and social venues, and, the increasing tolerance of bad behaviors, ranging from disrespect in schools, for law, for each other as human beings, to abject disregard for life, and constant excuses and few consequences, and change the discourse and get back to the founding principles that made us great, we are done as a country: going into my seventh decade on this earth, I, too,have lived through much cultural and political upheaval.. I am dismayed today,at how cyclical good and bad events really are: we never seem to learn much..I will submit that what is going on this year, is the result of extreme political correctness, and forcing of liberal policies down our necks, accompanied by too much taxation and over-regulation, to the boiling point we are seeing, now..some of us are glad there is now plain speaking and voicing of our many concerns and frustrations: if it causes many to pause and reflect on how we got to here, and try and turn a corner, and make a big change this year for the better, then so be it..
Understand, many, many regular, average hard- working Americans of all stripes believe, this can be our last chance to recover any semblance of what has been the best experience in Liberty ever: and, we dearly, honestly, fear and pray it is not too late!..
As you may recall, President Obama came into office trying like heck to compromise. He believed that with honest discourse and an open mind, differences could be bridged and agreements reached. But the intransigence of the Republicans eventually prevented any compromise at all and brought us to the complete disfunction that the Republicans have wrought. The Democrats tried to negotiate, but the Tea Party refused any discourse at all – it was, and is, their way or no way. And Americans cheer. So no, this is NOT a two party dysfunction, this is a ONE party intransigence. Painting this as two parties that refuse to work together is disingenuous and misleading.
that this president came into office to do one thing: “fundamentally transform” this country: look around: more unemployment, more on food stamps and Medicaid, chaos, fraud, waste and abuse in every department, weakness and disrespect around the world, more violence, voluminous over-regulation, and my personal”favorite:” worse race relations than ever, constantly dividing us, and fanning the flames of discontent. And, if that all doesn’t work, ram it through with “executive orders.” In this regard, he sure is “successful,” and we are nearly over!! January 20, 2017 can’t come fast enough!!
Obama would of course never have given this speech, for two reasons: it’s a criticism of Obama, implying quite ridiculously that Obama has not himself been a model of civility and dignity, and secondly, Obama gives eloquent speeches, not speeches written by a local litigator known for anonymous insults and wanton resort to litigation.
I wonder what the author–whose knee-jerk disgust at anything the President does is well-established–might say about this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/opinion/merrick-garland-for-the-supreme-court.html?emc=edit_ty_20160317&nl=opinion&nlid=39188746&_r=0