Well, we heard from our new president today and he's already talked down to us.
"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."
Thank you very much, sir, but I'm already doing tough, adult things in a very adult way. Which means I won't be needing a daddy. Neither will anyone else old enough to vote for you.
Positioning oneself as the patriarch of a nation is done by those who intend to rule, not by those who intend to lead. Leading is done by example. Ruling is done by issuing orders. And, for a fact, it isn't the mandate of any US president to issue orders, your predecessor notwithstanding.
You said that you were going to "lead" us into change. But, if there's any surer sign of following in your predecessor's shoes, it's the assumption of daddyhood, with its issuance of orders and expectation of blind obedience. Two actions which are definitive indicators of a tired, cranky child under the age of five.
May I suggest, Mr President that you read and abide by the entire scripture?
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." I Corinthians 13:11
Put aside the childish idea that speaking down to people elevates you into a position of authority over them. Understand what you have been called to do. Put away the notion that you are now the overseer of a vast, formerly profitable, empire of children who need stern paternal leadership and constant validation of their presumed immaturity.
Grab hold of your pride and self respect by refusing to walk in any other president's shoe. Become an agent of change, not a dictator of it. And, finally, don't demean and degrade your public image and future history by assuming the persona of pater familias to over 300 million Americans.
We welcome you to our most important house and office, Mr President. We have formally and legally asked you to be our leader. Don't step down from your responsibility as our president by pretending to be our daddy.
You're our president, and we stand ready to follow you with pride down the toughest road you walk toward an improved America. We stand ready to do that as equals.
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So it is the maturity of leadership that I believe he was referencing.
By the way Vonnia, Welcome to the litter box!
Courageous post. I admire courageous.
rated
I think we'll know, at the end of the first quarter of his term, what kind of president we've elected. G-d knows it can't be worse than the LAST administration.
Welcome to OS, Vonnia! Hope you enjoy the ride here - it's a pretty great place, IMHO. :-D
I didn’t get anywhere that he was talking down to us, quite the contrary. After eight years of being talked down to I think I would have been quite sensitive to this if he had done so. He has often spoken of “we”, unlike Bush which was “the decider” not asking anything of us and I rarely heard him speak of “we” in such a way that meant “us”. That was a “Daddy” and as far as Patriarch, he was an ineffective one at best.
As one who has been involved for much of my life with community organizations including founding a couple, the Patriarch roles are an important one. By its definition a Patriarch is; “A man who rules a family, clan, or tribe. One who is regarded as the founder or original head of an enterprise, organization, or tradition.” Which role that a Patriarch assumes is what is important. Does one rule with an iron hand? Usual ineffective over the long term. Or rule with wisdom and grace? Far more effective to build for the future as no Patriarch lives forever.
One could say that I am the Patriarch of the organizations I founded and I tend to build it with the thought that it will outlive me and stand on its own without me.
I would look at the course Obama is very likely to take as a Patriarch of his ideas and philosophy. One which looks to show by example in addition to lead in a direction needed for our nation recovery.
My take on Obama's words is that he is asking us as citizens of the United States to take more responsibility for how our country functions and for what our country does for us. Instead of people waiting around for the government "daddy" to do something, we are being asked to become involved, to offer our time and talents in a constructive way.
We are being asked to grow up and it's about time. It we act as adults instead of children we can shape our future and that of our country. We can affect our position in the world. We can once again be a nation worthy of international respect.
Obama's leadership style is precisely to be an agent of change whereas the previous administration did try to dictate what was going on with a climate of fear instead of one of mutual cooperation and respect. I felt empowered by his words yesterday and energized for the long trek it will be out of the wilderness of problems we find ourselves in today.
I have found Obama to be a leader and not a ruler.........not in the least similar to the former occupant. I think your reading is literal and fails to take into consideration the multilateral atmosphere that Obama encouraged.......right from the get-go. He was one who stood like a stone wall against an unecessary and arguably illegal and immoral incursion into Iraq. He did not change his stand on that.
I have seen him in person twice......up close, and I found him to be a flexible, enlightened leader, a skilled debater, fresh, open minded, and unfailingly respectful towards ideas contrary to his own......compare all that to the former occupant.
I hope you will see him in a more generous light........at least for the first 100 days that Bill talks about.
This nation, collectively, HAS been behaving like a spoiled child for decades. Screaming "Mine!" Throwing destructive tantrums. Demanding things the family cannot afford, then pitching a shitfit when it doesn't get them.
We (I say "we" generically to indicate the majority) want roads and bridges and schools and emergency rooms and Social Security and Medicare and libraries and safe food and safe drugs and a military to defend our borders--but we don't want to pay taxes! Because [whine, sniffle, stomp, snuffle, scream] TAXES are BAD! TAXES are NASTY! MINE! MINE! MINE!
If you aren't one of those people who wants all of the toys for free, then you weren't the one President Obama was talking to.
He was talking to the Dittoheads, the O'Reilly fans, who've become convinced that it's our rightful place as Americans to take without giving. To reap the benefits of a civilized society without sharing in the collective sacrifice it takes to keep it running.
I also disagree that W. was a daddy figure. He wasn't. He was the irresponsible drunk uncle who takes you out for a spin at high speed in the backseat of his asshole-mobile sportscar and doesn't even put a seatbelt on you.
We have DESPERATELY needed a responsible Daddy to sit us down on his knee, take charge, explain The Way Things Need To Be, and then with a firm, calm, reassuring hand, make that happen.
Obama's "childish things" line rang a bit discordant for me when I heard it live yesterday, but I think I agree with those who interpret it as something he intended as an inspiration for us to collectively turn away from the simpleminded, childish approach to the challenges of This Modern World favored by our not-so-dearly departed Commander-in-Chief.
All indications, from what I've seen, are that Obama fancies himself a leader far more than he does a daddy, and if we as citizens behave more as his equal than as his children, we'll make it through the dark days ahead just fine.
How deliciously warm you've all made me feel. I'm looking forward to reading what all of you have to say.
Much thanks for tipping me over the edge. Shoulda done it months ago.
You're right, this is good stuff! :-)
BTW... umm... I'm not one for expecting much from elected figures. What we must remember, is that they are our employees. We hire them, to take care of stuff, like defense of the nation, keeping the post office delivering mail, and filling in potholes in the roads. This whole inspiry-worshipy-ispirationy-thing is neither helpful or healthy. At the very least, it's a set up for bitter disillusion, down the road.
And by the way, I'd be the last person to assume that all criticism of BHO necessarily comes from the right! Look for me and some others (notably Mick Arran) to be critiquing the new administration from the left in the months to come. But only when they deserve it, of course.
I think it's a shame when we have expectations of humans that even gods would have trouble meeting.
One thing that's always been so great about the US is that we're free to hold and express personal opinions, no matter who's in office.
Blind and unquestioning adoration and worship is for dogs, not humans.
For what it's worth, I took his patriarchal talk as a call to ditch the helplessness we've felt for the last 8 years and to get involved in whatever needs fixing so we can once again be proud of being American. I wholeheartedly agree that he's got virtually impossible expectations to live up to and there can only be disappointment down the line. But I am still willing to pin my hopes on someone who can so effectively motivate the population.