Inaugural speeches have always been moving to me. whether I strongly resist agreement with a presidents policies or am overwhelmed by the joy to see a brighter future, they all make me patriotic. to see a single leader upon a stage of all those who came near and far to pay respect to one man is beyond words to me.
Since my time at college I have become fascinated with rhetoric. I remember studying Obama's past speech and being in disbelief that there was a whole group of men and women writing it. I was fascinated in the way these words and subjects were carefully chosen in order to gain so much applause and admiration.
The problem I have with this rhetoric is that it appears as a manifest, as if the blessing of the American dream is given to us by god, and that we stand highly above all other nations. I am skeptic to hear such statements as the one where Obama tells the eastern world that they will either be applauded for what the build, or judged for what they destroy. The way I interpret this is that Obama is tell the middle east is that as a whole they are responsible for the the terrorism of individuals. To say that that the middle east must become secular in order to rise above the eastern traditions. I do not believe a democratic institute is for all, and i do not believe that all countries want to be like the United States.
As an American I am proud of my country. I am respectful for the land I plant my feet on, but I am above all Thankful for my right to criticize and analyze the people in charge of my country. I believe in America, but I am critical of the topical subject he did not discuss. Syria is in one of the worst civil wars ever seen, and yet the U.S and the west is spending billions on individual extremest outlets. However I will follow Obama with hope, and pray his actions are in the nations best interests.
No comments:
Post a Comment