Today is the first anniversary of the inauguration of a new president. During this year we have begun the slow recovery from the worst financial crisis of my lifetime. The president has brought together the best military minds of our country to develop a pragmatic bipartisan approach to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has restored honor and respect for the United States among the nations of the world. The president proposed goals for a solution to the health care mess that cripples our economy and leaves a big proportion of our citizens uninsured, properly leaving the Congress to work out a bill that can garner a majority of votes. Despite an unrelenting stonewall from the opposition he has seen health care bills, unfortunately without the public option, pass both houses of Congress. America is still struggling financially and wars continue and the health-care mess is not yet cleaned up, but America is in a much better place than a year ago. Thank you, Mr.President.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
Well said.
Terrell Shaw
Thanks Sarah... I'm afraid for heath care reform after Massachusetts, which already has universal health care, threw a monkey wrench in the heath care works for the rest of us. Have we forgotten that health-care reform was the major domestic plank in the President's platform? And are the news folk so completely distracted by the straw-men erected daily by the opposition that they cannot see that the President and Congress have accepted much if not most of the opposition's modifications?
I read one friend's complaint that the President is "ramming health-care reform down our throats". Do these people only listen to the frothing partisans? Do they ever look at fact? (For example: There is NO public option in the bill. There are NO "death panels" in the bill.) Do they credit anyone besides themselves with patriotic motive?
It is mind-boggling.
Jared Lathem
HAHAHAHA. Terry you are cracking me up! I love this stuff! Obama is not a failure? HAHA. keep them coming.
(fyi...I am so thankful I can poke you in regards to your politics. No matter how crazy you are politically you do have a sense of humor. And I am glad you are as concerned for your country as you are. We both want the same thing...the best for the US.)
Thomas Guy Beall
I do not have a problem with politics. I have a problem with fanatical politics. People who can find nothing good about a president, VP, etc. all they do is gripe about. If they spent as much time trying to find a solution as they did griping, then we would get somewhere. I applaud you Mr.Shaw. Sorry, I am one of youur former students and i just can make myself call you anything else.
Susan Cherones
I don't hate America, but I sure am close to hating Americans.
Jim Ellington
Terrell, you say this is the worst financial crisis of your lifetime. What about the Great Depression and the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War you fought in, you old geezer??? LOL! I know for a fact that Mrs. Ruth Shaw adopted you after you were fully grown and thrice her age! LOL! OBTW, Happy New Year, friend! Love to ya'll
Terrell Shaw
Thanks, Rhonda.
Jared, if Jane knew how to spell, your name would be Jarred.
Now Tommy, you are catching up with me and after looking up more than once from the orchestra pit, at my amateur musicianship, I'll bet you can come up with something else to call me. But Terrell will do. Thanks for your kind words.
Susan, we are just people, and despite our moments of clarity and love and bravery and selflessness and intelligence, we can also quickly descend into the haze of fear and hate and stupid, cowardly selfishness. Jared's a preacher now, and might 'splain it in terms of our fallen nature.
And Jim, Jim, Jim... you have way too much time to spend online at that hotel desk. Go make up a bed, take some towels to room 203, or sweep the lobby. And quit smoking the stuff you find left in the rooms. (And a great new year to you too!)
Look who's calling me "geezer"!!! Sheeesh!
Jane Baird Lathem
Excuse me Terry.....I do know how to spell. If you knew your Old Testament you would KNOW that JARED is the correct spelling!!!!! So THERE!!!!!!
Warren Lathem
I love it when cousins fight.
Ruth Baird Shaw
The whole eight years President George W. Bush was in office, he was vilified. Republicans need to be more mature and not villify President Barack Obama. As the first "Black" president, I hope he does well and is reelected,
But George W. Bush did not get us into war, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Islamic Terrorist got us into war and have continued with more success this last year!!! This is what motivated Mass to vote for a Republican. The bottom line...We want someone to take our safety against Terrorist seriously...
Terrell Shaw
Now Jane, I'd never claim to know the Old Testament better than you, but I do suspect that, given his politics, Jared's noggin has been severely jarred somewhere along the line -- hence my suggestion that perhaps you had intended to name him for his addled condition rather than after Methusaleh's granddaddy.
The apple falls not far from the tree, eh Warren?
Mama I'm content to let history deal with Mr. Bush.
There are few, I think, who would take issue with the opinion that Barack Obama inherited the situation I described. One cannot fairly evaluate the first year of any President's term without taking into consideration the state of the union at his inauguration. I tried to give my assessment of Barack Obama's fledgling presidency and I stand by it.
If the economy continues to grow, if jobs begin to rebound, if we can pass a health-care reform bill that is an improvement on the status quo (and it's hard to imagine one that wouldn't be), if we are able to begin bringing our soldiers home from the Middle East -- a lot I know, but I think all of those things can happen -- then the handful of independents who have been listening too much to the Republican stonewallers will begin to swing back to the president.
If we fail at those things then the middle will stray back the other way.
Justina Gordon
War and fighting is not always the right answer. Yes you're right, the terrorist did attack. I believe that a terrorist is one who deliberately engages in actions designed to harm or kill innocent people, that destroy property, that rob blameless people of their right to a peaceful everyday existence. This means that people in the United States and across Globe has experienced terrorism. Does this mean we should start a war with our own people? My family has experienced terror when trying to go to school between the 60’s – 70’s. Should we have engaged in war with those that terrorized them? Remember... war can be defined as the waging of armed conflict against an enemy. We all have choices in life.
Many people say they believe in Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision. I’m sure the people who believe in his words of wisdom can’t be the same people who believe that war is the answer.
Terrell Shaw
Thanks Justina. I am sitting here incensed to think of anyone mistreating those cute little 10 year-old twins I met in 1971 or their gentle and kind parents. More later. This is a tough evening in our family.
Ruth Baird Shaw
Justina...Many causasion people stood with African Americans to put an end to segregation of the schools etc ...As awful as it was, do you think we can compare it with radical Islamic men plotting to murder 3 thousand people (of all races) and destroy major buildings and airplanes and who tell us they intend to continue murdering Americans and Europeans??
Terrell Shaw
Yes we can and should compare those terrorists.
And, of course, many, many Muslims have fought and died in battles against Al Qaeda.
There is absolutely no qualitative distinction between Al Qaeda and the Klan. I see no important distinction between people who, for their twisted beliefs, are willing to murder random children in a church in Birmingham and those who. for different twisted beliefs, murder random people in a New York skyscraper. Terror is terror. It is nothing new or even unusual in the history of the world. And to whatever degree we allow the terrorists to succeed in changing us with their terror, they have succeeded, by definition. We can and should hunt them down, but we should do so with steely determination and few words. And with just as steely determination we should keep to our way of life with as little alteration as possible.
Justina Gordon
Ruth... Honestly... YES!
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