Published on: Thursday, January 26, 2012

By Brian J. Karem

“Let’s never forget:  Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same.  It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom:  No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts.  An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.”

The quote above, is from the President’s State of the Union adress and says a mouthful.

It implies we should all work together or we’ll all hang - separately. United We Stand. Divided We Fall.

The words are lost on some. Immediately after the speech on Wednesday night the loyal opposition ditched the “loyal” part of the opposition and launched into a diatribe about President’ Obama’s failed initiatives, the sorry state of the economy and the pitiful example of leadership our President represents.

Not once did the “loyal opposition” acknowledge they had any input in the system nor were in any way responsible for the mess in which we currently find ourselves.

It kind of reminds me of going to church on Sunday. Everyone sits and listens as the priest lectures everyone on turning the other cheek, goodness and kindness and how brotherly love should prevail and it always ends with people yelling at each other from the confines of their car in the clogged parking lot after the mass.

To be sure there is not a climate in the United States these days which favors the concept of working together.  As we all know, we’re victims. It’s not our fault. It’s the other guy.

The daggone liberals have destroyed our culture. The mean-spirited conservatives don’t care about us. Gay marriage is tearing us apart. Global warming is the reason for our demise. There is no global warming.

If we hadn’t spent our money on lunar exploration, why we’d be right as rain. We never landed on the moon. All of the moon landings were a hoax. What moon rocks?

Don’t listen to what people say. Try an experiment. Read what is written.

Read what the president said - it’s outlined in italics. Is there anything there to offend anyone? Is there anything there incorrect?

Further, read this:

“Think about the America within our reach:  A country that leads the world in educating its people.  An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.  A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world.  An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded."

Is there anything un-American about that statement? When you read what was said in the State of the Union, most people would also tend to agree on this statement:

“….The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive.  No challenge is more urgent.  No debate is more important."

The naysayers tell us there is little of substance in the President’s speech. They may be right. But to deny the importance of the words said and to dismiss the President out of hand because he doesn’t belong to your political party, nor fit in with your political agenda, is to me the ultimate statement about your own intentions.

The lack of details in such a speech are not new. Every President in my lifetime has been long on platitudes and short on details.

The devil is indeed in those details. But before we start arguing about the details, we should first all agree where we want to go.

The President is outlining a fairer, more decent way of conducting business. It’ll mean sacrifice - especially for those with a great deal of money and power.

But he’s right about where the country needs to go. I?don’t agree with how he wants to get there - not entirely - but I agree the goal is worth pursuing.

It may be wacky, it may be out of synch with our times, but if we can all just agree on a few basic sentiments, then we can begin the constructive dialogue on how to get there. But we have to work together and we have to do it now.

There’s nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed by what is right with America. Remember that?