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Should there have been a big peace protest at this Inauguration?
I am someone who went to the first George Bush Inauguration to speak out against the stolen election and stand up for peace and democracy. (I remember our joy as we chanted “Hail to the Thief” all day, and then it hailed!)
As a green, I have had mixed feelings about this Inauguration Day. I understand that the Democratic Party is full of corruption and corporate money. So, having a Democrat in office does not set our democracy right again. And, I am aware of the setbacks in Obama’s message and platform: Promoting a surge in Afghanistan, keeping nuclear energy on the table as a possibility, not acknowledging racial disparities enough. So, I am still in the dissent. I am still seeking better for our country.
Though…
We live in a democracy. And, while our electoral system is somewhat broken, we used the system we have in place, my candidate- Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party – was allowed to run (as were some other independent and third party candidates), and the person who won the most votes won and will now serve as President. That is an accomplishment, especially over the results of 2000 and 2004.
Also, in a government, there will be transfers of power. And, at these times, our country has some vulnerability from the outside. And, also, there is a nervousness of the people and a need to see that things will be alright. So, I think that it is useful to have some calm and some ritual. So, I feel like it is okay to take a day off from petitioning the government, and protesting in the street, and take a day to just watch as my fellow Americans go through the…
(pause, phonecall from my Democrat, DSA friend, who is experiencing mixed feelings about the days events…)
Anyway, so I did not want to get in the way of the people for whom this is good enough. And, I don’t want to interfere with the ritual that happens because we live in a democracy.
In our household, we have had some arguments about how to handle discussion of Obama on our blog. I have kind of lobbied my husband to not dig into Obama until after Inauguration Day. I feel like Obama deserves his day, as the winner of the election. And, I wanted to support a safe and smoothe transition of power in our country. Still, my husband teases me when I say too many positive things about Obama, Michelle Obama, and the children. I think he fears me being too wrapped up in the cheery message. Though, my husband is at work today. And, here I am having my last hurrah.
Tomorrow – or later today – my husband is ready with commentary about Barack and feminism, I think. And, tomorrow, I will dive in to thoughts about Afghanistan and nuclear energy.
(A transgendered woman on C-Span says, she sees “a lack of cynism that is sweeping the country.” She seems to be saying that that is good thing, and something that Obama’s call for hope has created. I am not sure that it is good to become un-cynical about government.)
A photo of The Wilders from a much more angsty Inauguration Day of 2001:
A much worse day: Unauguration 2001/Kimberly & Ian Wilder
Filed under: Barack Obama, cynthia mckinney, Election 2008, green, Green Party Websites, News, Political Websites, president, US Politics Tagged: | afghanistan, Barack Obama, Green Party Websites, inauguration, Michelle Obama, Nuclear
[…] Live blogging from the US – Kimberly Wilder. […]
I think it’s fair to give Obama a chance. But there’s nothing wrong with criticizing any of his choices (including pre-inauguration cabinet choices). That is also part of our democracy.
Yes, I’ve been criticizing some of his cabinet choices on my blog, but today I’m laying low. Yesterday at the MLK celebration there was a lot of cheerleading for Obama. We all had a chance to speak before the group, but I felt I might have sounded like I was trying to rain on their parade. I did have a story about MLK which perhaps I will save for another year. Getting back to Obama, yes I think it’s ok to give him the benefit of the doubt, but not for long…