A Decade of Failure leads to a Decade of Hope

This decade began with a failure of the basis of our Democracy, elections being in doubt. Despite clear and documented irregularities in the 2000 Presidential election the Supreme Court stopped a recount that could have determined who was actually elected President.

On September 11, 2001 Americans were horrified as we saw that there was a failure in security. We were not protected by the oceans from attack. We found out that our government and President failed to respond to clear warnings that could have prevented this disaster.

In March of 2003 their was a failure of leadership and honesty, as the world and Americans were horrified that a President of the United States lied to its citizens to lead us into war with Iraq. We learned there were no weapons of Mass Destruction, and we had attacked a country that though impudent militarily due to no fly zones and sanctions, who had not attacked us and had nothing to do with 9/11.

In 2004 once again the world and American were horrified as we learned that our Country was torturing Prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Later we sat in disbelief as we heard our President and Vice President defend waterboarding. There was a failure to live up to the morals our nation had always held dear. We would never be looked on the same by the world again.

Election day 2004, our frustration grew as once again our ability to hold fair elections were in doubt. There was clear manipulation by the Secretary of State in Ohio to alter the voting results. Resources were shifted, voting machines were proven to be inaccurate, yet once again a winner was declared without knowing for sure who actually got the most votes.

August 29 2005, perhaps the most clear failure of the decade. We watched in horror as an American City drowned after Hurricane Katrina. We watched as there was a clear inability of our government to respond to a disaster that they saw coming for weeks. We had been lead to believe that our Homeland Security had been improved yet Katrina proved quite the opposite. The world watched in horror as the Country they depended on to help respond to help the world in such disasters couldn't help itself.

September 15, 2007 a failure of disastrous proportions became evident in our economic system. We found that all the protections placed on our financial institutions after the Great Depression had been gutted to allow such a disaster again. We saw banks failing, record foreclosures, jobs being lost at staggering rates, and we saw a President in the waning days of his term trying to wait out the clock to avoid having to deal with the reality of the mess.

November 4, 2008 The decade of hope began. So many believed including myself that this country could not move beyond race to elect an African American President. There was even fear the election system problems would again put the will of the people in doubt. Yet as we sat there in campaign headquarters, or in our homes that night and watched the images from Grant Park in Chicago. The feeling of utter pride and joy in our nation, in our democracy was gushing. I cried that night as all the frustrations about the failures of the previous 8 years felt somehow washed away. My faith was being restored in our nation and the leaders of the future. The America I loved, I believed in, was back.

We have seen in the final year of the decade that restoring hope is not easy. It is not done in one election. The damage of the failures of the previous 8 years was deep, it was going to take a lot of work, a lot of hard decisions to fix it. Americans are understandably skeptical. It will take continued successes by our President to earn their trust once again. We must do what we can to help with that success by continuing to vote for Congress People and Senators that are leaders not obstructionists. We must make our voices heard, we must shout out the successes that are made. When we are not happy with something we also must communicate the desires we have to our leaders to do more.

The 2000's were indeed a decade of failure, but I have belief in the wisdom and the leadership of President Barack Obama. Therefore I have no doubt, the 2010's will be not only a decade of hope, but a decade of success for our nation.

We have not forgotten

4 years later we still hear "justifications" for the lack of action by Bush and the Federal Government in Katrina. 4 years later though some progress has been made, it is woefully inadequate. 4 years later they still tell us how Bush kept us safe. 4 years later we have never fogotten or forgiven.

The following is my post from August 2006 on the first anniversary of Katrina.

We must never forget:



The sadness as we saw a city of great history and culture fall victim to the wrath of Katrina.

The frustration as Bush and other administration people patted each other on the back while our screens showed people begging for help with little results.

The anger as we watched people dying in the streets. Meanwhile the government that had based their existence on their ability to protect us, proved how inept they were.

The embarrassment as people around the world saw how our government was unable to protect its own.

The dismay as Bush still today makes unfulfilled promises sandwiching it in between deflecting blame.

Many have different ideas of what role government should play in our lives. But protecting its people has not ever been a role that has been debated. The Bush administration has proven they do not have the ability or will to perform this task.

We will never forget.

Who Broke the Window?

When I was a kid I was clearing the screen on an etch-a-sketch a bit too vigorously and it somehow managed to fly through my parents huge glass picture window. Now in my humble opinion I was a pretty smart kid, well except for how I cleared the etch a sketch, within seconds I was carefully cleaning up the glass.

As expected my parents came flying out to the living room to ask, who broke the window? My response was that it wasn't important how it got broken but that there was glass everywhere and we have to clean it up.

Have you noticed that is how Bush and McCain govern.

Terrorists attack the United States and kill 3000. When questions were asked about the warnings that the Bush administration had, their response was, that what was important is that we do what we need to do now to get the terrorists.

Bush lies us into a war with McCain's support. The response, well how we got into the war is old news, its the surge that matters.

New Orleans drowns and Bush and FEMA show total ineptness at reacting to the problem, causing the additional deaths and suffering of hundreds if not thousands. Their response, no point in pointing fingers except its the democratic governors fault, but we need to work to bring the city back.

Now we are on the brink of an Economic meltdown. Bush, McCain and the Republicans who's 20 years of gutting our economic system of all the safeguards that were put in to prevent this from happening are saying, this isn't a time for blame, we have to work together to fix this.

You know what. My parents didn't fall for this tactic on the window and neither should we. Its time for Blame. The policies of the Republicans like George W. Bush in power have put our country at risk to terrorism, war, more vulnerable to natural disaster and now economic ruin.

Yes it is squarely the fault of the Republicans. Its time for change. Its time for Barack Obama.