On the State of the Union Address

As I sat around the television with fellow firefighters and watched our President’s State of the Union Address tonight, I became disappointed at several things. I could mention them all, but I'm afraid that no one would have time to read a novel tonight.

President Bush stated that "our nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal - we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it."

This is where our President had the opportunity to be truly prophetic and denounce torture in all its forms.

Torture is tyranny. We cannot condone the torture of anyone.

A fellow Christian angered at my CrossLeft article in the December 2005 WebZine, CrossLeft Matters, wrote that if torture would have kept the September 11, 2001 attacks from happening then he would have conducted the acts of torture himself. Not only is this a far cry from the calling of Christ, my misguided brother does not realize that torture will only cause future attacks of terrorism on our soil. If we are going to ask God to bless our nation then maybe we should start following the example of Christ a little (or a lot) more closely.

President Bush also stated that "the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear."

As I recall, that was what the entire campaign to invade Iraq was based on: fear. I also am reminded that fear is what this administration has used to justify their illegal wiretapping of American citizens. I was disappointed that the plank of fear in this administration's eye was not removed before they attempted to remark of the splinters lodged in the eyes of other nations and regimes.

Our President declared, "Once again, we accept the call of history to deliver the oppressed, and move this world toward peace."

Declaring a perpetual war against terror does not bring about peace. To borrow a quote from a bumper sticker, "waging war to bring peace is like screwing to bring about abstinence."

I understand the arguments of just war theory (the Iraq war did not add up to those, by the way). But I ask this, what war in the history of mankind has ever been halted because of just war theory?

"The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home." That was another proclamation made by Bush tonight. I am wondering what exactly victory looks like after all of the bodies are counted (our brave men and women, the insurgents, our tortured and abused detainees, American and Ally hostages, and the innocent civilians that have perished are included in this body-count). When people die - especially innocent civilians, who really can call themselves victors?

Another question: This road to victory that our President spoke of is the same road that he continually tells us to "stay the course" on. Mr. President, why would we stay the course on a road that leads us straight to hell?

President Bush commented on how America shows "compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, and organized crime, and human trafficking, and the drug trade."

The truth is that out of the twenty-two industrialized nations that help to end poverty, AIDS, and other diseases, the United States is second to last in its donations. As the richest nation in the world, this is not only embarrassing; this is reprehensible! Bush said it himself tonight; terrorism grows in poverty. If we want to wage a winnable war on terror, let us attack it at its source: by ending Global Poverty!

"Fortunately, this Nation has superb professionals in law enforcement, intelligence, the military, and homeland security. These men and women are dedicating their lives to protecting us all, and they deserve our support and our thanks. So I ask you to reauthorize the Patriot Act."

This comment by our President got a good deal of applause from my fellow firefighters (with us being a part of homeland security and all) until I pointed out that Bush and fellow Republicans were looking to slash firefighter's health care and benefits before the attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred. They did not believe me until they "googled" it and read it for themselves. I do not like lip service, I do not like someone who wanted to force me to find two more part-time jobs pretending to have "had my back" all along, and I especially do not like my job being used as a leverage tool to justify the unconstitutional Patriot Act. Salt and fresh water cannot flow from the same spring, Mr. President.

"It is said that prior to the attacks of September the 11th, our government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. But we did not know about their plans until it was too late."

President Bush used this "oversight" to justify his illegal use of wiretapping American citizens.

I tend to think that we might have known about the terrorists and their plans if our President had actually chosen to read his daily FBI briefings. You know the ones that I am talking about. Those were the ones that Secretary Rice testified under oath that the briefings stated that Al Qaeda attacks on U.S. soil were imminent; and that they were planning on using jets to accomplish their attacks. That was a nice try to justify breaking federal law, but I just did not buy it.

"In the last two-and-a-half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs."

President Bush forgot to add that the majority of these 4.6 million jobs raked in an annual income of $10,000. That is not enough to pay for rent, utilities, food, gas, and health care; much less a vehicle to drive you back and forth to work. The truth when told slant is not the truth, Mr. President.

President Bush urged "Congress to act responsibly, and make the tax cuts permanent."

Why would we cut taxes in the middle of a war? That is unheard of in the history of our nation. More specifically, why would we offer taxes that benefit the rich at the expense of the middle-class and the poor? How is increasing the gap between the rich and the poor helping to improve and secure our nation?

On discussing non-security discretionary spending President Bush declared, "This year my budget will cut it again, and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities."

Cutting and eliminating programs that further hurt the poor and vulnerable is not the answer. Our President claims Jesus as his personal Savior. Jesus declared in his first sermon that he had come to bring good news to the poor. Does gutting more than 140 programs that benefit the poverty-stricken sound like good news to the poor?

The President stated that, "Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world."

His solution is to "replace more than seventy-five percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."

I have to say that this was truly "shock and awe!" I was impressed that President Bush had declared to work on ending our dependency for foreign oil. I hope and pray that this was not empty words and that the President will actually put his money where his mouth is and work towards this goal. I pray also that he follows a commitment to develop alternative, affordable renewable resources to fuel. The environment our children inherit depends on this type of legislation. I believe the first step would be for the President to actually sign the United States on as a partner of the place Kyoto treaty.

President Bush stated that, "We have made a good start in the early grades with the 'No Child Left Behind Act,' which is raising standards and lifting test scores across our country."

That is the problem: we have reduced education to teaching our children to pass standardized tests. Our teachers are reduced to glorified babysitters and held accountable if a child fails in their class. Where is the accountability of the children and their parents? And if teachers are required to perform the roles of teacher, disciplinarian, parent, counselor, and referee, then maybe it is time they deserved a considerable pay raise. With the type of logic and legislation that is in place, all children are left behind.

I could discuss and pick out much more, but I want to leave you with a final comment over this statement made by our President:

"Yet the destination of history is determined by human action, and every great movement of history comes to a point of choosing. Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having come far in our own historical journey, we must decide: 'Will we turn back, or finish well?'"

It is clear to me that our President just does not get it when it comes to Martin Luther King, Jr. Why would you use him as a reference to justify a perpetual war on terrorism? Dr. King and those marchers that stood by his side won their victory through non-violent resistance. They did not turn back; they finished and they were victorious because they followed the example of the Prince of Peace. We have, in this country, instead followed the Prince of Preemptive War (to borrow President Carter's phrase). I recall Dr. King opposing the Vietnam War - a war that has been used to compare the situation of the current war with Iraq. Please Mr. President, do not use Dr. King and his prophetic works of peace as an example for declaring war on any nation that opposes our prerogative.

We had a chance tonight to be prophetic. We had a chance tonight to admit our shortcomings and plot a new course on the right track. We had a chance tonight to be honest. We had that chance tonight and we let it slip through our hands. If we want "God to bless America," (a phrase I've never found in any Bible translation), maybe we need to check and see if we are being a blessing to God's continued work on this earth.

Let us pray that we get on the right track in this country; that we finally get our priorities straight and become a beacon of hope in this world. And if that prayer is answered; when and if we do finally get on that right track, I will be the first to declare that we should "stay the course."