Contradictions in Black and White

President Obama is expected to speak a bit later this morning. This, after a weekend of speculation about what lies ahead for the nation, is sure to ignite controversy and drive approval ratings even further down. So, with that in mind, I wanted to take a look at the speech he made on the 8th of this month and compare it to what will be announced later today. If you want to re-familiarize yourself with that speech from earlier this month, the text in its entirety can be found here.

Oh -but before I get knee-deep in this mess, did anyone pay attention to the Occupy Wall Street demonstration this weekend? What? Is it news to you too? That figures. The media in its entirety and for whatever reason, declined to cover it. This is definitely a major storm that’s on the horizon and one I’m sure will grow more desperate before any solutions are found. Use the hashtag #overhaulwallstreet if you want to follow it on Twitter because as of now, you won’t find media coverage. OK…so back to the Obama mess.

Here’s how I’ll do it – the president’s words from his 9/8 speech, verbatim, will be put in bold print followed by the Associated Press piece that’s currently running and includes the low-down on today’s speech. These, of course, are just a few of the contradictions, though there are many.

I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away. It’s called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans

Today: President Barack Obama’s proposal to reduce long-term deficits with $1.5 trillion in new taxes will be announced today. The plan stands little chance of passing Congress.

(Yeah – nothing controversial with that, right?)

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In addition to the trillion dollars of spending cuts I’ve already signed into law, it’s a balanced plan that would reduce the deficit by making additional spending cuts; by making modest adjustments to health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid

Today: $580 billion in cuts in mandatory benefit programs, including $248 billion in Medicare and $72 billion in Medicaid and other health programs. Other mandatory benefit programs include farm subsidies.

(I’m thinking “modest” should be used loosely in this instance…seriously…$580 billion?)

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But what we can’t do – what I won’t do – is let this economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades. I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety.

Today: And if Congress fails to adopt the deficit-reduction recommendations of a bipartisan joint Congressional committee this fall, the Defense Department will be required under debt ceiling legislation passed in August to find about $900 billion in savings over the coming decade. Cuts that deep will almost certainly entail reducing personnel benefits for active and retired troops, Pentagon officials and analysts say.

(Maybe I’m confused about what “basic protections” are? Cuts in benefits for our military?)

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Of course, so much of the brouhaha in Washington is subjective. What one says can be construed in a dozen ways, but it’s difficult to slow dance around much of what was said and what’s sure to be said today. One thing’s for sure: we’ll hear it from the president himself in a couple of hours.

 

Yeah – That’s Who Saved America

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of one of the most devastating events to affect our country and certainly, the most devastating event in our lifetime. Everyone always says they remember exactly what they were doing at the moment they learned the nation had come under attack on September 11, 2001. Images of those huge planes crashing into the Twin Towers, photos of those who were lost – they’re all a part of our mental catalogs.

Women have this ability to memorialize those crucial moments in our lives. We remember the color of shoes and socks we dressed our newborns in as we leave the hospital following their births. We remember the date of our first kiss and we remember the exact moment – date and time – that we realize a marriage is over. So, naturally, I remember sitting at the red light in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that morning and wondering what I was going to do with a broken marriage. Needless to say, what unfolded the rest of the day made my problems seem almost petty. There’s very little I don’t remember about that day, even if it is quite different than what some are claiming today.

We can all remember President Bush sitting in that Florida classroom and seeing the expression on his face when he learns his country is under attack. We can also remember seeing the faces of those young men and women who felt a surge of pride so deep that it compelled them to enter the military to ensure another tragedy such as what we were living would never again happen. I mean seriously, what’s left, right? Well…

Here’s where memories will begin to betray many of us. There’s a special on the Biography Channel tomorrow night, “How Pop Culture Saved America”. In the clip, Christine Chenoweth, who I adore by the way, says, “It was almost our duty to take people out of this horrendous reality.” Hmm. There’s no denying folks use their celebrity status for good. Whether they’re traveling to support our troops or are serving as the driving force behind raising a million dollars for the latest cancer research, being a celebrity certainly has its perks. But to suggest it was pop culture that saved America following the terrorist attacks? Seriously? The documentary’s title alone is an insult.

It wasn’t the collective pop culture that saved this country. It was the commitment and determination of a powerful military, an angry president and the faith of each of us that saved this country. It was that too-brief time where each of us felt a sense of obligation to others for once instead of ourselves. It was the powerful prayers, the pride, the grieving and ultimately the healing so many found themselves thrown into that saved this country a decade ago. The country singers, glamorous movie stars and other celebrities played a significant role to be sure, but saved us? I guess it comes down to one question: when you look back and when you’re playing that mental catalog over and over, what do you see? Is it Cameron Diaz laughing inappropriately during the broadcast that was shown on every network or is it the fearful, but determined, faces of firefighters and police officers that causes your sense of pride to surge forward?

Nothing like a self-congratulatory attitude from Hollywood, right?

 

The Sum of the Day

Fair warning – I’ve pulled out my soapbox one more time. Now. You’ve been warned. There’s just no escaping the irony of what’s in the media today. From Chris Brown’s anger issues to the Obama Administration’s insane declaration. Here we go -

President Obama announced in the overnight hours (while he’s still on vacation) that the U.S. was preparing to give the lead in the Libya crisis over to another country. WHAT?!?! Yes – our president is ready to put the fate of our military in another’s hands. I, along with millions of other Americans, am still trying to figure that out. I don’t understand why we had to do the whole Libya thing last week anyway. Our military is too overwhelmed and yes, I absolutely believe we have the most powerful military in the world. I support all of our service men and women; that said, we’re already fighting two wars and have many resources in Japan as well. Still, and for whatever reasons, we’re right there in Libya. And while we’re there we should maintain our position and not put the safety, fate and future of our military in another country’s hands. Period. What is wrong with this Administration?

Chris Brown. Wow…what’s next with this guy? His reputation has taken yet another hit; just when everyone was hoping he’d come full circle and dealt with his anger issues. This morning, in an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, he was asked a few questions about the 2009 incident with then-girlfriend Rhianna. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Initially, I thought, “Why does she keep steering the conversation back to this when he’s clearly not wanting to discuss it?” Turns out, Brown agreed to a few questions about the incident and Robins was simply attempting to get his sense of where he was in his life now. After the interview, he returned to his dressing room and annihilated it. He threw a chair out of the window and glass rained down on passersby in New York City. He was furious! After he and his group left the building, Brown tweeted something along the lines of never being able to live this down while Charlie Sheen is celebrated for his violence. He took the tweet down moments later, so I don’t recall it verbatim. The fact is, he’s right. Folks are dumping money into Sheen’s lap these days – and he has several arrests for domestic abuse. He’s being treated differently than Brown is (Hell, the whole world lives differently than Sheen). That

Former President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush

said, Brown, in one fell swoop, became his own worst enemy this morning and all that hard work on the album he was promoting might be for naught.

Next up: the Coast Guard is really beginning to get under my skin. Why is this agency sugarcoating the facts on the latest oil found in a huge area of the Gulf of Mexico? It’s oil. Period. It’s worse than pulling teeth getting this government agency to make a statement that’s not filled with, “but”, “maybe”, “perhaps”, “possibly”. I’m ready to pull my own teeth.

Finally, I have to say, I felt a sense of pride when I saw every single living president (well, almost eery single living president) come together to honor George H. Bush. Former President Clinton said in a speech that he’s come to love and appreciate the elder Bush and that since working with him in various causes over the years, he’s had an epiphany:

And this man I’d always liked and respected and run against in a painful campaign in some ways… I literally came to love. And I realized all over again, how much energy we waste fighting with each other over things that don’t matter.

Well said.

Of course, President Obama wasn’t there. I hear he’s on vacation.

 

Because We Can

It’s my belief we’re put here to do good with what we’re given.  I believe responsibility taken for choices we make lends to a richer and certainly a more mature existence.  And, for those who might not agree, it’s my belief that, at a minimum, we’re not put here to bring misery to others.  If you can’t do good, at least don’t allow your legacy be a sum of the harm you’ve done to others.  With that mindset, I do try – and believe we all should – to remember that we never know what another goes home to.

Very rarely do we stop long enough to remember that “statistics” are actually based on people, their experiences and their lives.  We never know if the neighbor three houses down is one of those women who make up the 5 million abused wives.  And if we don’t know that, then we certainly don’t know that she’s left her abusive husband and is now staying in a homeless shelter.

Do you know who the families are in your community who are missing a husband and father or wife and mother because of a choice made to join the military and who is now overseas?  You might not know it, but there’s a very good chance this decision, noble and unselfish, is also equated to a financial burden for the family as a whole.

When I worked with Mississippi’s two largest employers, there was an annual United Way drive.  This was important to me then and when I struck out on my own two years ago, that was something that I felt was missing on a personal level.  It was never much I could contribute; and even now, I wonder sometimes whether or not my small contributions really make a difference (even though I know they really do on some level).

It was important to me that I find some way to continue to make, small as it is, a difference.  I chose two organizations that were close to my heart for a few reasons.  Again – it’s important to me.  I contribute to the USO; my dad is a Vietnam vet and my family has always been incredibly supportive of our country’s military.  The USO is dedicated to our country’s military and tries to keep in mind the human aspect of all those statistics and numbers.

I also chose McKemie Place.  It’s a local shelter for homeless women and is the only overnight shelter in Mobile, AL.  It’s relatively new, but in two years, it’s helped more than 500 women whose options before included remaining in an abusive household or sleeping on the streets.  While I have never faced being homeless, I do know the fear that’s in the heart of these women.  The agency provides meals, job referrals and helps women pick up the pieces of what once was their lives.

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s a great time to take a step back from our lives and recognize that while we’re not trying to make anyone else’s life difficult, there are things we can do for others to make theirs a bit better.  Search your soul and then choose an agency or cause that’s worthy.  Choose local or national – whichever you prefer and do it for the right reasons.

As usual, you know I’m going to have a clip from a classic movie that fits this post.  Magnificent Obsession, written by Lloyd C. Douglas, was made into a movie in 1935 and then remade nearly twenty years later in 1954.  The 1954 version starred Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson.  Fantastic movie and in my list of Top 5 all-time faves, no doubt.  Rock Hudson learns the importance of doing good just because he can.

 

Leaks

Right now, this country is facing two dangerous leaks and the long term effects seem to be anything but top priority of the powers that be.  Many are downplaying the repercussions of both the BP oil leak, which is temporarily plugged a mile under the Gulf of Mexico, and of course, the classified Afghan war documents that were leaked last week.  Both leaks have the potential to devastate this country and so far, all the American people seem to be getting is the run around, endless declarations of “it’s not my fault” and of course, a group of entitled politicians who can’t agree on salad dressings, much less solutions to these catastrophic problems.

The oil leak, which is nearing the 100 day mark, is still a major cause of concern for many reasons.  First, the cap that’s working so well is only temporary and if we’ve learned anything from this nightmare, it’s to assume nothing, including the  success of the permanent solution that’s being put into place now.  Another dangerous development is because there’s so little oil that can actually be seen floating on top of the salty waters anymore, efforts will be scaled back.  Many are concerned this false sense of security will lead to the many underwater plumes not receiving the attention needed to eliminate them.  There remains more than 630 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico that is listed as “oiled”.  Federal waters remain closed for fishing, shrimping and crabbing (not that anyone is actually eating anything out of the Gulf) and the fear is a combination of the oil, both seen and unseen, along with the dispersants used weeks ago, will ensure seafood won’t be safe for consumption for at least a few seasons.

The second leak we, as a collective nation, are now facing is the leak of all those documents to a relatively unknown website (until now, that is), WikiLeaks.  More than 90,000 classified and secret documents now constitute the biggest unauthorized disclosure in the history of the military.  It’s sure to become very controversial, especially come election time.  New problems with countries the U.S. was already attempting to build trust with have developed and it reiterates the belief many have that the war no longer serves a purpose.  New questions have come up relating to the accuracy of all or part of these documents.  The U.S. and its credibility is taking a hard hit right about now.  The worst part, however, is the jeopardy our military has now been placed in.  No good can come from this.

Two leaks and no solutions.  The long term effects remain unknown, but one thing’s for sure, these events have definitive and long term repercussions.