It is a time for the reordering of many things. Many things have reached maximum chaos possible and are demanding a new beginning. Americans have had quite enough of presidents that were a disappointment. Our nerves are frayed and we are understandably pessimistic. With no guarantee that this man, Obama, is any different, I am none-the-less hesitantly hopeful.
Times like this call forth the best and worst in people. America seems to have risen to the challenge and done the right thing. Obama was put where he is by a great number of people of political power and people that had but one thing ... the initiative to get out the vote. Record numbers of people did what they could to elect a man who was, as candidate for president, at the very least, the lesser of two evils.
And now we have him and are uncertain what will happen next.
The first things that seem to be happening are making us ill at ease. But if we look deeply at what Obama is doing we might see more than we see on the surface. Firstly Obama is putting people in positions of power that had some involvement in how things got messed up. And he is not all that interested in prosecuting "the bad guys". And he is even consulting with Bush to hurry up and get the last of the bail out money OK'd so that more bail out money can be dispersed. When I heard all this on the news I was full of apprehension.
Then I started to reflect on this. Obama knows that it took a lot of inappropriate behavior on many levels of this society and many unwise decisions of many people to give us the current crisis. To get things going in the right direction many of us must forgive ourselves and others for our part in the current chaos. Forgiveness is vital for a new beginning. Many people in positions of power may have had a change of heart and felt regret when things started to unravel and then corrected their unfortunate mistakes by getting behind Obama. And Obama is understandably grateful for their support. And the ones that did not support him are none-the-less folks whose help he also needs to get things turned around in this country.
Obama's lack of interest in prosecuting Bush is sending the message of forgiveness so that all of us in high and low places can get busy, people with no involvement and people who have unwisely erred and are ready to begin again to get behind Obama and help him to straighten things out.
We all need to work together now. In times when most people are doing well and not making wrong judgments then the prosecuting of a few that have done wrong things can keep the society on course. But what do you do when the whole society is off course? Then is the time is for a wide and full pardon and no need to call attention to mistakes. The mistakes are so numerous there is no need to call attention to them.
We do not need an atmosphere of fear of reprisal instilled in the hearts of many who could use their talents to straighten out the mess that millions participated in creating.
I think many people in high places are already on board with Obama and are working with him to get things turned around. The second half of the bail out money is probably earmarked to get this country out of a situation that is extremely scary. The middle class, the backbone of this country's strength, must be helped and got out of an economic morass. Otherwise we become just another third world country with a handful of super rich and massive amounts of people in grinding poverty.
America would not even be America any more if that were to happen. So for the moment it seems wisest to get on board with some cautious hope and do what we can and work for the restoration of the greatness of America. We need to give this president the benefit of the doubt.
I elected Obama because he was as far as I could tell at the very least the lesser of two evils between himself and McCain. I simply did not want another republican. Bush was bad enough. And for the same reason I will stay the course and remain hopeful.
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