In the United Kingdom, the war on terrorism that united the Yanks and Brits is putting some pressure on Prime Minister Tony Blair. Henry Porter of the Observer is among the many opinionated British suggesting that Blair should resign his position if no weapons of mass destruction are found in Iraq by March, the war's anniversary. He goes on to say that Blair "has made one of the gravest mistakes of any Prime Minister in the last hundred years." And you know what that is!
Unlike our allies, the simple majority of us (about 60 percent, according to a Jan. 20 Washington Post poll) are happy with our involvement in Iraq, and for the most part, we support our leaders and our leaders' decisions. The last three years have definitely changed us, and for the first time in my life, people are actually happy with the current President. This unconventional feeling may or may not come from the fact that George Bush -- as much as some of us want to dislike him -- hasn't been caught laundering illegal money, lying under oath or committing adultery with co-workers. I am not saying that people didn't support Bush Sr. or Clinton during upbeat intervals, but in the words of comedian Dennis Miller, "I just want to thank George Bush for allowing me to respect the American presidency."
However, just like in Britain, things may be becoming a bit murky here as well. With some pollsters stating Bush's ratings are slipping, it feels like we're increasingly more conscious of our fear and that our actions are prioritized by the worst of consequences. Orange terrorist alerts are treated in the same manner as a 40 percent chance of snow, and some parents are too paranoid to even let their children leave the house, let alone make friends with others outside their race.
Yet saying that Americans have become more politically conscious than ever is an overstatement; last September's Psychology Today reported that very few of us have changed the way we live each day since Sept. 11, 2001. Richard Morin and Dana Milbank of The Post say that other things have changed: the economy has lost about 2.3 million jobs, a budget surplus has turned into a large deficit, and tax cuts and the space program seem to be more important than children and the schools. At least things are going well in New Hampshire, where the next caucus is located.
Your right to be unhappy with status quo is totally deserved -- in fact, I join you. But to say that George Bush is solely responsible for your woes is ridiculous, because the important decisions of our nation will never be given to just one man. We're the ones who wiped our brows and called it a day once Hussein was caught. We're the ones who lobby at the House and send e-mails to push important issues like prescription drugs and then never follow up. We're the ones who name holidays after great men and women but refuse to show respect to these people on their day. And finally, but most importantly, we're the ones who step into the voting booth and put our current leaders into place.
Stop griping, move to New Hampshire and caucus, or vote for different people this November.
Write to Gregory at gttwiford@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
