Thursday, January 12, 2017

On Viewing President Obama Last Speech

 

Psalm 106:3 says, “Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.” Gosh that is definitely not me, not by any stretch of the imagination. But most of the time I try although I mostly fail. 

 

The night before last as I watched the President speak I was struck by a general feeling that he in his eight years in office had tried to do what was right. Whether you dislike the man because of your fear of creeping socialism that is the ACA or his stance on immigration, I think it is very difficult not to admit the President acted on his beliefs. Those beliefs are not everyone’s beliefs, but I think he was trying to do justice and better the situation of the American people.

 

The part of his speech that stood out to me was his commentary on our duties as citizens. The President said the same things I have said in this space before. Being a citizen requires more than just voting. It requires action. If you want to fulfil your role as a citizen work to something done. Get a pad of paper and start petitioning. Run for office. Knock on doors and talk to people face to face about community issues. Move outside your bubble of likeminded social media friends. Being a citizen takes time, it takes energy and it takes understanding and commitment. Inform yourself and get involved. President Obama was not wrong in indicating keeping a democracy vibrant requires work.

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