January 21, 2009
Dear Voice in My Head,
Why aren’t you happier today? Barack Obama is President! We did it! The page has turned and history has been made. And Bush flew away in a helicopter. Sure, it didn’t crash into the side of a mountain but you can’t have everything. Besides, God threw you a bone and Cheney was in a wheelchair. This is what you wanted. Millions of people are celebrating today. So…why are you finding it so hard to give in to the feeling and just be happy?
Dear Joe,
Thanks for asking. I have been feeling guilty all day but while everyone else is misty-eyed and joyous, I am worried. I just can’t stop thinking about the Middle East. I know, I know. But I can’t help it. Instead of going to an inauguration party, I am up at 2am watching Tequila Sunrise on cable and thinking about Gaza. Barack Obama inspires such confidence... but I just am not sure if I can trust where he is coming from on the Middle East. Sure, he said a lot of great things about Iraq but then he pranced like a show dog at AIPAC. For every plus there has been a minus. I'm not naive, I know he did what he had to do but... I just don't know.
May 21, 2009
Dear Joe,
Did you hear President Obama's speech on national security just now? He talked about the "fiber of his being" and "our fundamental values" and then he said we would need "new tools" to prevent attacks against the United States. (Why does that sound so familiar?) And then he proposed a law that would allow "preventive detentions." It allows indefinite imprisonment not based on proven crimes or past violations of law, but of those deemed generally "dangerous" by the Government for various reason. In other words, to imprison people because the Government claims they are likely to engage in violent acts in the future. And this isn't just for "terrorists" the law could be applied to anyone, anywhere in the world, alleged to be an "enemy combatant."
Oh wait. Now I know why this sounds so familiar...
Dear Voice in My Head,
Come on, that isn't all he said. He talked about how Guantanamo was a mistake and how he is going to close it. He said the "enhanced interrogations" don't keep us safe and he won't be using them... This is all the stuff we have been waiting for. The Bush craziness is over... Isn't it?
September 1, 2009
Dear Joe,
Guantanamo Bay is still open.
That is all.
Dear Voice in My Head,
Shut up.
December 5, 2009
Dear Joe,
Obama has decided to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan. He ignores Palestine and ever since the election he runs the other way from anything even vaguely Arab or Muslim with his arms waving over his head like Elmo.
Oh, and Guantanamo is still open. That is all.
Dear Voice in My Head,
Sigh. I know.
Sigh. ME too.
ReplyDeletebut I'm glad Obama is still pushing for universal health-care reform. It's simply absurd we don't have that here in the States yet!
I said this yesterday on Teh Twitteh:
ReplyDelete"Dear President Obama: I love ya, but everytime you talk lately, I hear innocent civilians dying. It's keeping me up at night. How 'bout you?"
That is all.
I Love the way you express yourself, Joseph.
ReplyDeleteI am frustrated with many of my fellow Muslims when it comes to Obama. It's something that I just can't seem to understand. Bombing Pakistan, advancing the war in Afghanistan, and remaining silent about Israel's war crimes is not going to help build relations with Muslim majority countries. Sweet talking Turkey, Iran, and Egypt means nothing to me when drones are attacking Pakistanis.
Why is diplomacy ok for the Obama administration in Iran and Iraq, but not in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It absolutely makes no sense to me. I will not be a fool. I am anti-war and anti-oppression, and I cannot support a president who thinks military intervention is going to solve anything. There is a reason why the U.S. has a negative reputation in Muslim majority countries, especially in Pakistan where the majority of Pakistanis believe the U.S. is the biggest threat to peace.