State of the Union…WOW!

I was elated when I got out of class early this evening so that I could have the opportunity to make it home to watch the State of the Union address. Unlike many folks who just started watching it this year, I make every effort to witness this speech every January…regardless of who's in the White House. I originally intended on addressing specific issues that I found with the address itself, but I perused Facebook prior to starting on this offering. After reading many of the posts on people's status update I must say that I'm not only appalled, but disappointed. We have folks making statements like, '…they don't want to respect OUR president…they already had their turn when THEIR president was in office…they just racist cause they don't want to stand up and clap for Obama.' While these status updates and the sentiments that fueled them may not be a big deal to some, I find them majorly offensive and, might I say, trifling. Here we are in 2010 and we're placing ourselves (black folk) in a self imposed segregationist situation. Let me educate you morons who insist on making these types of statements. If you were born in America George Bush (both of them) was YOUR president and when you see them they still carry the title Mr. President. President Obama is every American's president. What really pains me about this crap is two things (1) if someone white had made the statement that he is y'all president and our president was the last one then the National Action Network, NACP, SCLC, ACLU, and a bunch of other initials would be picketing, boycotting, and protesting. (2) Every time you refer to President Obama as Obama, you're disrespecting the man, the office and the title he earned by virtue of winning the election. Call the man President Obama…it's only proper and fitting. George Washington and his advisors toiled with a fitting title for the president of the United States. They toyed with Your Excellence, Your Majesty, and others, but settled on Mr. President. This is a title that is earned for life by simply serving one term. Give him the respect due his office.

On another note, I would be willing to bet a dollar to a dime that all of these short sighted, rabble rousing hooligans who are running around screaming racism and posting this idiocy in their status updates didn't watch any of the State of the Union addresses that Clinton, Bush or Reagan gave. Let me educate you on something. The republicans never stand for a democrat and the democrats never stand and applaud a republican. Besides, what awe inspiring statements are really made in the State of the Union address (including this one)? It's generally a bunch of rhetoric and either promises of what I want to do, reason I didn't do what I said I'd do or like tonight a tongue lashing of the house of congress and senate for not doing more. If you don't know anything about politics, government or and manner in which things are done, please learn something before you open your mouth and exhibit your ignorance. There was even one person making light of the fact that the Supreme Court justices simply sat there and didn't applaud anything. Again, I say…educate yourself. I've not seen the Supreme Court justices react to, applaud or even appear to be listening to any State of the Union address since I started watching them when I was in middle school. While the political machine that we call our government is one that has many cogs and wheels, it has but two major organs, and they are opposed to one another even to the detriment of the greater good. Sometimes being contrary for the sake of being contrary [I believe]. This transpires on both sides of the aisle.

Rather than me taking the time to assess the things that President Obama put forth. Rather than me dissecting the republican response, I'll issue a challenge. I challenge every American who reads these words to get involved, get educated, and don't miss an opportunity to cast an educated vote. Whether for dog catcher or president of the US your voice needs to be heard. Please stop crying racism when it is apparent to Ray Charles and Ronnie Millsap that it isn't. What will happen is when it really is, no one will pay any attention. Just like the boy who cried wolf. So I say this. Do what you need to do to make sure this country remains the best in the world [I believe this to be true] and that we continue to meet and surpass our goals as individuals, members of various organizations, and this country as a whole. Presently the state of our union, from a social perspective, is on life support. We are no further along than we were in 1967. Not because we haven't been educated, but because we're refusing to let go of things that took place in the past and we work to keep the division between the races going. Let it go people…let it go.

It's Just my Opinion, but I'm Not Wrong!!!