Nathaniel

Shockey

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July 1, 2009

Obama Makes It Tough to Celebrate the Fourth of July

Remembering this year’s Fourth of July as a day of nationalism and celebration will require more effort than usual.

For starters, our leader has made international apologizing a full-time job, going from country to country explaining that he totally understands why they hate us, whether they actually hate us or not. Our most prominent face is marked by timidity and regret. There was his speech to Turkey, in which he said, “I know that the trust that binds us has been strained in the last two years,” or the speech to Latin America, where he said, “Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas,”

Then there was the speech in Cairo where he cited his Muslim heritage, quoted the Koran and reminded listeners that “America is not perfect. At times, we have done things that we are not proud of. But I promise never to repeat the mistakes (of the past)”. Some may say he’s doing a great job in developing relationships. Others might consider it an exercise in futility. I’d call it a highly effective way to undermine America’s formerly imposing presence on the world stage.

And he couldn’t have picked a worse time. Somali pirates are boldly attacking our ships. North Korea has threatened the U.S. with nuclear war. Their ships, which are reportedly carrying deadly and powerful weapons, are cruising around wherever they please. And it may be worth mentioning that North Korea has one of the largest armies in the world. Then there’s the Iranian president who has repeatedly threatened the U.S., most recently for President Obama’s tame disapproval of Iran’s crooked election process.

If we fail to apologize, we will regret it, he says. All the while, Obama looks like a scared duck, unwilling to strongly denounce these maniacs. At least he didn’t apologize for having the audacity to suggest that Iran’s elections weren’t shining examples of ethics and justice.

As vicious lunatics threaten our very lives, our president not only refuses to flex America’s muscles, he won’t even wear a tank top. All the while, our media is content to focus on more pressing matters such as the death of Michael Jackson. Good luck finding a newspaper, news web site or television news show that doesn’t feature another aspect of Jackson’s death as one of its leading stories. He may have been the most prominent pop singer in the last 30 years, but I’m not sure his passing requires more coverage than crazy dictators with nuclear weapons who have vowed to wipe our country off the map. The media’s conclusion about what is news is an insult to the intelligence of our entire country.

We could also remember this year as one in which the size of our government swelled more in six months than it did during the entire Bush Administration, which was no small balloon. Our debt is piling on at a totally unsustainable rate, which will take many decades of sound economics to reverse, much less erase.

This year’s Independence Day will also be marked by the withdrawal of U.S. security forces from Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. The withdrawal coincided with a deadly car bomb, which killed 24 people in Kirkuk. While few would be able to claim with certainty that the two events were related, their coupling is only too ominous as we can only hope the troops aren’t leaving too soon.

At least the homecoming of these troops will be a blessing to their families, which truly is an event worth celebrating.

I love the Fourth of July, the fireworks, the huge crowds of Americans gathered together to celebrate their country. But if the next several years are anything like this one, I don’t expect future Independence Days to feel quite as blissful and exuberant as they did in years past. It’s probably a combination of adulthood and a government I believe is crippling my country. But then again, perhaps the removal of childhood blinders is exactly what we all need in order to experience the one day set aside for pure nationalism as it was originally intended.

© 2009 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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