In the immortal words of who was, until today, my favorite president …
“What’s next?”
I noted the tones and the promises in President Obama’s speech and I’m optimistic about the future.
It’s no time to rest, though. There is a lot of work to be done.
“What’s next?”
Repairing America. Resuming our course as the great experiment. Repairing our National honor by restoration of the Rule of Law and ending torture, warrantless wiretaps, extraordinary rendition; opening government and a guarantee of transparency; an end to cronyism; operating our government and living our lives by the examples of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America.
As a Democrat, I have the responsibility to monitor and report, to raise my voice, just as I have in the years past, when I disagree. Dissent, and the voice I have to use it, are the greatest tools granted to a citizen of the United States. To leave them dormant, due to Party allegiance, fear or ignorance is unpatriotic, un-American and, ultimately, intellectually dishonest.
If the American Government is to operate properly, it must react to the voice of the people. If the voice is silent, so too is the conscience of our elected leaders.
I’m optimistic today.
“What’s next?”
Internationally, America’s responsibilities are wide and ranging. From the poverty and mass killings in Darfur, the Congo, Liberia and so many other countries to the growing threat of Russian aggression; from China’s ownership of our basic industry to the trade treaties that exploit the workers of other countries and impoverish the workers in ours; from the bloody conflict in the Middle East to the learned hate of the U.S. by their citizens – America must lend a hand, lead by example, and act in the interests of the peoples of the world.
I’m optimistic today.
“What’s next?”
The human rights impacts of global climate change must also be taken into account. Aside from the hundreds of thousands that will lose their homes and lives – and the millions that will be displaced, the old ways are stagnant and the old models are failing.
Green means jobs. Green means American prosperity. Green is the future and the future belongs to my children. They deserve a better world than the one that I found when I arrived.My parents tried to give it to me, it’s my duty to work at giving it to my kids.
I’m optimistic today.
“What’s next?”
A mighty danger has been pushed aside and the country can now set about the work of healing and repair, with the example and history of our country as a guide.
I’m optimistic today.
“What’s Next?”
What’s next is showing up and doing the work. What’s next is every minute from now, stretching out in front of us, an infinite spread of possibilities – making a difference, taking a stand, standing up for those things that make America grand, and denouncing those things that are unjust, and fighting to uphold the traditions that make us unique in the history of the world.
I’m optimistic today.
“What’s next?”
As our nation is reborn today, it’s time to turn our sight to those things both closer and far from home and work, work, work on fixing what is broken, cleaning up what’s corrupt and holding those in power to the promises that their oaths of office demand of them.
“What’s next?”
Utah.
That’s what’s next.
I’m optimistic today.
You are absolutely right. Be prepared when you first have to exercise your dissenting voice to be called a traitor by those in your party who mistakenly believe that you must support the party without question. (Too many Republicans bought that line in the last 8 years. Those who didn’t were often ostracized.)
I don’t mean to draw a hard line here, but, in a lot of ways, Democrats don’t do it like that.
I’ve been violently critical of Democrats in the past, without too many problems – William Jefferson and Rod Blagojevich most recently. Both men should step down (well, Jefferson doesn’t need to anymore) because they give the party a bad name and a bad image. How many GOP voices were calling for Stevens to step down? How many reacted to Foley by whining about the timing?
I’ve called Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi spineless for acquiescing to Republicans over the last two years. How many GOP voices called Gingrich out for marital infidelity during the Clinton impeachment?
I’m still critical of Matheson’s vote on the Military Commissions bill and CAFTA, even while admitting that he’s great on nuclear waste, veteran’s issues, congressional raises and the military? How many GOP voices do you hear yelling about torture, rendition or the signing statements?
Even Obama’s vote on FISA made me speak out.
I’m sure that there are a few Democrats that are upset with me, believing that, as a Democrat, I should keep quiet on issues where Democrats look bad, but they are an extreme minority.
I’m a Democrat. I always will be. I work for Democrats and that’s it. I support the Democratic platform and I offer my advice and professional services to Democratic candidates.
I know that I’ll take a hit from time to time for speaking out, but, it happens so rarely that I just don’t pay a lot of attention to it.
Dissent and debate make us stronger, and if you roll over because of Party affiliation, and refuse to speak up when something needs to be said, you’re little more than a Republican delegate.
🙂
Sit down, shut up and do as you’re told is no way to run a political party in this country.
Watching Republicans shoot each other in the back when one of them speaks off the talking points memos makes me sad. It’s a major factor in the GOP losing the House, Senate and the White House.
All that aside, Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller are still boneheads. Not because they spoke out, but because they gave into fear and adopted the GOP speaking points of attack and character assassination. They are not, in my opinion, dissenting voices. They’re disloyal.
It’s a subtle difference.
Bell is right, David. The gulag ideology is/has been and I believe will continue to be a very Neo-Con trait. It’s where the myth that the Democratic Party is ineffective because of infighting comes from. We also have the example offered up by the failure of ideas that has overcome the GOP as a very recent reminder. There are many efforts to drive conservative Democrats out of the party, and I believe those efforts will be successful in the end, but you will never see a Democratic Party demanding lock-step allegiance to a solitary agenda they way we have seen with the Reagan/Bush/Bush Republican Party.
We’re smarter, what can I say…
… and better looking.
Most of us are taller too…