Issues Under Fire: Bush, Obama Unite Against 45's Divisive Politics

 

Issues Under Fire: Bush, Obama Unite Against 45's Divisive Politics

In an effort to restore unity to a broken nation, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush spoke publicly this week about the dangers of divisive politics. Without mentioning "45's" name, both men made it crystal clear they were referring to the uptick in hate and intolerance of anyone qualifying as "other", since the election of Donald Trump. Both apparently alarmed and ashamed of how the current administration has embraced and encouraged tribalism, Bush and Obama broke with the tradition of former presidents refraining from criticizing the current Commander-in-Chief. They had to do what they could to heal the country. They had to!

Speaking at the George W. Bush Institute, this is just a sample of what the former president had to say: "Our identity as a nation – unlike many other nations – is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility. We become the heirs of Thomas Jefferson by accepting the ideal of human dignity found in the Declaration of Independence. We become the heirs of James Madison by understanding the genius and values of the U.S. Constitution. We become the heirs of Martin Luther King, Jr., by recognizing one another not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

He continued: "This means that people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed."  Now, do you seriously think such words would ever be uttered by "45"? Don't bother answering, it was a rhetorical question. But if we must, it would certainly be Hell No!

Barack Obama, fearing for a nation he'd led less than a year ago, the former President could no longer remain silent while witnessing the United States rapidly devolving into a society of haters and separatism. And being the first Black President must have placed an added sense of urgency to stem the swelling tide of division by race, religion and ethnic differences. How could this be happening so soon after leaving the Oval Office, he must wonder? Speaking at a rally in Virginia for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam, Barack Obama addressed the hottest issue facing the nation.

Barack H. Obama said: "You'll notice I haven't been commenting on politics a lot lately, but here's one thing I know: If you have to win a campaign by dividing people you're not going to be able to govern them. You won't be able to unite them later if that's how you start”.  And based on what we've seen over the last eight months, truer words have never been spoken. He continued: “We saw what happened in Charlottesville, but we also saw what happened after Charlottesville, when the biggest gatherings of all rejected fear and rejected hate and the decency and goodwill of the American people came out”.  “That's how we rise. We don't rise up by repeating the past, we rise up by learning from the past.”

Still, in this observer's view, beneath this country's expressed values of equality, inclusiveness and an appreciation for diversity, simmers alternative values. Alt-Right values. Angry, mean spirited and violent, these values seek to be free of " The Others". In an Alt-right  universe, diversity is an abomination and White reigns supreme. So the question of the day is this: Can these two former presidents calm the storm of hate, or are their efforts too little too late? 

Bottom line: America is at a tipping point. It could go either way. The nation's true colors are in the process of being exposed. Will those colors be Red, White and Blue, or just White? Podcast below.