Obama's Healthcare Reform Speech...

I waffled somewhat before I decided to post yet another opinion in the sphere of politics. Ironically, I was sitting on the edge of my mother’s hospital bed, still waiting for some staff physician to do his job so we could leave. I was pretty much on the verge of meltdown, having been there since 2 p.m. and yet, there we were, watching Obama’s speech on a mini hospital TV on a boom arm. A full 7½ hours from the time I arrived until the time we finally left, but that’s another post altogether!

The speech. Actually, I liked it. I think Obama has a presence, a charisma, and an intellectual level that’s been missing from the White House for the past eight years. He made valid, intelligent points. I hope he can garner some cooperation from the right, because I think trying something is better than living another 20 years with what’s failing. I also love that he always seems to take the high road, rather than sink to the level of the heckler.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I really couldn’t stand George Bush. I thought he was a horrible representative for our country. He was nothing like his father, lacked both dignity and education, and couldn’t pronounce common English words. I’ve never heard any president murder the language quite like he did. But, and this is a big but, if Bush had entered a room and I was there, I would have given him the respect that the office commands. It doesn’t matter whether you like him or not. If he’s the President of the United States, he deserves respect.

When that foreign journalist flung his shoes at Bush, I was mortified. But I was even more mortified that a member of the United States Congress would heckle the President during his speech by calling him a liar. Not only was his behavior in amazingly poor taste, it was behavior that is forbidden by the Congress! We sit around and wonder why our children are so incredibly disrespectful and yet this is the example we give them?

That one anger-impaired representative did more damage to any children that viewed the healthcare speech than anything the education speech could possibly have done. Where is the outrage of parents who should be calling that representative to task for his unconscionable behavior? Okay, he apologized later…easy to do after the damage has already been done. Congress should order him to anger management therapy.

Sad to say, the news is full of “injure first, apologize later” scenarios, even, it seems, in the halls of our government.