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Last November, our country was engaged in one of the greatest political controversies in our nation’s history: the presidential election. Political parties pointed fingers at one another, the media was in full ambulance-chaser mode and protests formed-whether literally or figuratively-across the nation.
Roughly a year later the American people, “strong and united,” are still pulling in different directions over their elected president, not pulling together. Let’s get one thing straight: I am not in the least telling you for whom you should have voted, to which political party to belong, or which political party is the correct one. Everybody is different. However, I believe that there is something everyone should do as American citizens simply because it is common sense: as a nation, we should pull together and support our leaders in their decisions. I am not saying that we must be like robots, simply nod our heads and agree with everything they say. However, we need to accept the fact that our leader is who he is. President Bush is our commander in chief, period.
The election is over, America, and now is not the time to be pointing fingers at political parties and the stands they take that may not coincide with our viewpoints. As the television screen showed a hijacked plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers, Tom Brokaw was claiming how this attack could be due to the fact that the Bush Administration has not had much involvement in Middle Eastern affairs thus far.
There is a time and a place for everything. Critiquing political parties is necessary so that we are not misled as people. Sorting out the rights and wrongs of any political party at a time like this just does not make complete sense. In the aftermath, let the criticisms fly. For now, we need unity as a country more than we need to be playing talk show host. People who are so quick to knock their leaders are people that are revealing that they haven’t really thought things through. We are all quick to feel self-righteous and to claim we know how things should be run. I for one don’t have a clue on how to run the most powerful nation in the world with a population that increases drastically each year. This country has the most powerful economy, the most powerful military, the highest forms of technology and the highest standard of living. I will be honest in claiming that if I were president, I wouldn’t know how to make heads or tails of it. However, I do know that unity prevails (unity leading to success: World Wars I and II; division leading to failure: the Vietnam War).
Call me na�ve, call me too idealistic, but I believe that in this situation, it is insensitive to the victims and poor timing by our national media to be tearing down political parties after such a national disaster has occurred. I heard students around campus claiming that the terrorists should have taken out President Bush because it would have done our country a favor. What? People, this is your leader! I am reminded of the words of comedian George Carlin when he said, “Politicians don’t just fall out of the sky; they are a reflection of our society and this is the best we can do, folks.” Whether our president makes you feel ashamed, embarrassed, patriotic or proud, these feelings need to be placed on the back burner for now. Our country is in a crisis situation of sorts. Major decisions need to be made. The election ended almost a year ago and so should the complaining. Countries that are divided do not stand. If you don’t believe me, open a history book and read about ancient Rome.
