When I voted for Obama, I did so knowing he would not wave a magic wand and fix everything overnight. I voted for him thinking he was the best choice of the candidates available to choose from. I still support that decision. Was he perfect for gays? No. We knew that ahead of time. Will he deliver on everything he promised? Probably not. What President ever has? The last President who rushed into trying to overcome centuries of prejudice left us with [Don't Ask, Don't Tell]. Oh what a great compromise that turned out to be.-Moby, a San Francisco blogger posting a rare political piece.
While I am disappointed by Obama’s lackluster support, I am also trying to see the bigger picture here. Our country is facing some of the largest crises in our history. Our financial markets are practically in ruins from rampant deregulation. Our country is virtually broke and we are “robbing Peter to pay Paul." Our healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing under its on mismanaged weight. More and more companies are going under daily and adding to the already record numbers of unemployed. Not to mention, we are facing two wars overseas, a pending disaster with North Korea, and now Iran’s turmoil threatens to embroil us even further.
He's right, you know. With everything this president inherited (the worst mess since Franklin Roosevelt), it is foolish for us to get so upset over the fact that he has decided to put some of our issues on the back burner while he tries to tackle the issues that, dare I say it, matter more.
For those who argue that he should be able to multi-task, I would suggest you take another look at the news...he is multi-tasking to the extreme at the moment. The financial meltdown, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan...if all of these issues go the wrong way we'd be facing the proverbial perfect storm. If our economy collapses and we lose "Cold War II," then it won't matter what President Obama or congress do on LGBT issues. America will be done.
In the mean time, Moby suggests we stop crying like babies and do something:
Oh yes, we were quick to point fingers and blame. And I ask you, what has that gotten us? Nothing, zero, zip, nadda, zilch. Personally, I see it as a cop-out. We blame others in an effort to absolve ourselves of any personal responsibility. In the process, we give up our power and relegate ourselves to the “helpless victim” mentality. How many of you reading this right now has contacted a single government representative at any level? Even simpler, have you done anything at all, besides complain?Don't get me wrong. The administration's defense of DOMA was way over the top and we should all be angry at the language used in that legal brief. That said, I expect President Obama to tackle at least DOMA and DADT before the end of his first term. In the mean time, the poor guy has much bigger fish to fry.
I have a radical idea. How about we get off our collective asses and get involved. Whether it be thru voting, marching, volunteering, educating, donating, whatever. Everyone of us can contribute, one way or another. Contact your local, State, and Federal representatives and let them know you expect results. In an age of electronic communication, its as simple as type and click. We can forward stupid memes, pics, porn, and funny emails till we are blue in the face, but we can’t contact our elected leaders? How sad is that?
...The point here is pinning all our hopes on one man and then getting angry when he doesn’t deliver is foolish and naive. Yes, he could be doing better. Yes, we should hold him accountable for his promises. And yes, we should continue to demand more. But, the same is true of ourselves.
