Redeeming Hope

The State of Our Union - Questions to Consider

Tonight the president and a Democratic counterpart, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, will offer a State of the Union Address. At issue: simply more politics, or a message that engages the American people? Here are four questions for you to use in watching tonight. They come from my travels across the country. I urge you to watch, think about these questions, and log back on to share your thoughts.

1. Do you believe the president and the Democratic leader are in pursuit of truth? Do you feel the leaders tonight are genuinely seeking to be forthright, to reflect people’s reality and what we must do to move ahead and the potential costs? Or, are they somehow distorting, or playing with the truth for their own gain? (Read "In Search of Truth")
   
2. Do you believe the president and the Democratic leader ask us to see one another? In what ways do the leaders ask us to see the concerns and aspirations of others in our society, especially those different from ourselves? Specifically, what do they ask us to see and know? (Read "Who among us do we see?")
   
3. Do you believe the president and the Democratic leader ask us to consider a richer definition of happiness? Do the leaders entice us to step forward merely as individual consumers in the pursuit of our own happiness? Or, do they call us back to public life in order to consider the greater common good, or just our own good – and, if so, how? (Read "The Pursuit of Happiness")
   
4. Do you believe the president and the Democratic leader set the right tone? Do the words and images they use tonight reflect a genuine engagement with people’s concerns, or are they seeking to divide people, improve their poll numbers, or play on the Red/Blue divide? (Read "Do Political Leaders Care?")

Tonight’s State of the Union Address comes at a time, as so many have before it, when the American people are concerned about various domestic issues (e.g., health care, GM and Ford plant closings, scandals on Capitol Hill) as well as international challenges (e.g., War in Iraq, the explosive Middle East, nuclear proliferation). At issue is how the president and his Democratic counterpart address people’s concerns and offer a path forward.

What is our real “State of the Union?” I look forward to reading your thoughts and continuing the conversation.

You can ping this entry by using http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/102 .

These comments re the state of the union only tell part of the story. At 78 years of age I and many other retires spend a lot of time volunteering in our community. Tax preparation, Medicare counselling.planting community gardens raising funds for our local hospital the list goes on. We are dismayed by the bickering in Washington and Harrisburg,while the politicians feather their nests. But overall there is a positive community spirit. Sincerely John Parker

Politicians, like CEO's are by statute required to work for the profit of their shareholders. Pursuit of truth comes only after all other avenues have been exhausted.
Logically, we can work toward being a net creative species, but only by first accepting that we are the animals we think we are dominating in nature, and by understanding that for any one person to be rich and famous, someone else has to pay for it and allow it: usually many someone elses, and usually on the premise that they will benefit after they perform some kind of sacrifice or service to the group. The sooner we go back to the rights of individualism, the sooner we can have strong communities that have good reasons to trust each other. "Anarchists Unite!" And DO LESS.
One person's lie is controllable. A whole country of lies and supporters of the lies is evil. Stop the madness, Buy Less, Buy local, stay home. End our exploitation where it starts: in the home.

If this coming State of the Union address compares with any of the last given by this president, then we can safely expect more lies, half-truths, fear-mongering and spin. How long can any of us bear to see our elected leaders sitting comfortably watching the charade play out? When is anyone in Congress going to stand up, literally and before the world, turn their backs on dishonesty? I long for one strong, courageous man or woman who represents the working American, to do the right thing and NOT sit still and listen any more. I long for one of them to stand up, turn their back and leave the chamber. I long for someone to stand and shout 'Shame', in a voice that represents all the maimed and dead soldiers, the minimum waged families, the poor, elderly and disenfranchised.
I write from a state that placed its future in corporate hands, only to see those corporations, the auto industry, reward us with the worst roads in America, high unemployment and huge job cuts. That's what the rest of the country will get, too, if long term policy and care for our grandchildren's future is replaced by short term greed, lack of foresight, and cronyism.
Please, senators and representatives of the people, when you hear the lies, shout them down or get out of your seat. Because non action is agreement; they also lie who only sit and listen.

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