Congrats from one small voice in the opposition

Cousin Mike’s latest post on his blog congratulates Barack Obama on his historic election victory as the first African-American President of the United States. (A quick aside before I continue, I sincerely hope we can now put the hyphens away once and for all and simply be Americans from now on).

Mike started his post with the famous quote from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, and continues with personal comments and a good selection of quotes from Powerline, Townhall, and Weekly Standard Blog. Nicely done.

Mike continues…

“I was nine years old when King was killed in Memphis, April 1968. Anyone who remembers those years remembers the turbulence that bedeviled our country because of tension over the war in Vietnam and over issues of equality and justice for black Americans.”

Having a few years head start on you Mike, I remember it well.

Not that it changes anything you’ve posted, and it’s perhaps not relevant, but there’s something else I’ll never forget. The fact that I have this memory came from where I live, in a suburb of a fairly big metro area. Almost immediately after word got out of Dr. King’s assassination, rioting broke out in some of the inner city neighborhoods in Kansas City Missouri, one city to our west. Houses and businesses were being burned in those neighborhoods and we feared that could spread. About two miles north of our house is a National Guard Armory, and this was my first (and so far, only) experience watching armed soldiers drive past my house. It was reassuring that they were there to protect our community, but still, a very scary situation. Eventually the situation came under control and calmed down.

Mike:
“…it must be said, prejudice or racism, is sin. It's a heart problem and anyone of any national origin is perfectly capable of despising anyone else for the most petty issue, including the color of one's skin. We must constantly guard our hearts against this kind of hatred and ask God for grace to offer others.”

Well said.

Mike:
“And though the USA is not perfect by any stretch, she has come a long way…We have elected a black man president of the United States. It is no small feat for Barack Obama, a man with whom I have many honest disagreements, as far as I can tell, and he is to be sincerely congratulated.

There will be time to review the election (in another post) and to cast a critical eye toward a thoroughly liberal government. For now, however, consider what has been accomplished.”

(Mike then posted four quotes; I’ll offer three short excerpts here)

”It is an extraordinary thing, an achievement that will be recognized a hundred years hence, that Barack Obama has won the White House. Even those of us who opposed him, and who will no doubt be opposed to many of his policy objectives over the next four years, must pause and say congratulations on an improbable, amazing rise…”. - Hugh Hewitt of Townhall

”You will be my president too, and while I am filled with trepidation, I congratulate you as sincerely as I am able, and I wish the very best for you and our great country.” - Bill Dyer of Townhall

”…Racism and xenophobia were background buzz in a clean campaign, existing largely in liberals' nightmares rather than in real life. It is a testament to both candidates and the American electorate that, even if the wrong man was elected, he was elected for right reasons.” - Mary Katharine Ham of Weekly Standard Blog

Congratulations are indeed in order, even from us who voted against him and who continue to be alarmed by his far left ideology and proposals.

I don’t mind that an African-American is the President elect.
I just had hoped it would be a different man.

I had hoped the President elect, regardless of race, would be someone who is pro-life.
I had hoped he would defend traditional marriage, instead of catering to the extreme left fringe.
And I wish he was less anxious to get his hands on more of our money, increase spending, only to run the risk of increasing unemployment at the worst possible time.

But enough people were angry about other issues, so that’s not what we got.

Mike:
“Do you find it as interesting as I do that, come this January, we will celebrate King on one day and inagurate Obama on the next?”

Yes, I did notice that.

I was going to stop here, but I read this today…

From Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher:

WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama plans to use his executive powers to make an immediate impact when he takes office, perhaps reversing Bush administration policies on stem cell research and domestic drilling for oil and natural gas.

So, for those of you who thought Obama would “bring us all together”, or “govern from the center”…not likely.

Further down in the article, one possible bit of hope…

Two top House Republicans said there is a willingness to try to work with Obama to get things done. But they said to expect Republicans to serve as a check against the power held by Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress.
"It's going to be a cheerful opposition," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. "We're going to carry those timeless principles of limited government, a strong defense, traditional values, to the American people."

I felt I needed to post this to "tie things up", but now I hope to take a break from this topic for a while; at least, here on The Porch. I really want, and need, to get back to writing something that I enjoy.