Van Jones resigned and said it was apparent that he would be in the way of the president's plans. Well I can say, after 8 months, the president is in the way of my plans.
I don't want to hear from Hillary fans who are thinking, "I told you so." This has nothing to do with that event which has most definitely sailed. My opinion is about now, today, this week, this president. I voted for the party, the platform, the alliance of the House, the Senate, the White House and, hopefully, a certainty that the Supreme Court appointees would be pro-woman, pro-labor, pro-humanity (as opposed to pro-corporate). It was a matter of creating an unstoppable coalition of democrats, a majority of democrats to finally bring the USA into a global conversation about climate, economics, education, military, sexual orientation and, finally, join the intelligent evolved countries in assuring health care for every citizen.
The fact that this candidate is Black, a Harvard graduate, a community organizer, the father of two girls I held some predictable expectations. I thought he would be a champion of the poor, the disenfranchised, those seeking equality. I thought he would surpass Clinton and Bush, who each had 6 women in the cabinet (he has 4). I thought he would close the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, (he expanded it). I thought he would sign the matched set of laws; the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Par Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. He signed one leaving the other necessary arm dangling thus rendering his signature a photo-op.
He stated clearly that he would be a "fierce advocate" for LGBT. Was that promise fulfilled by awarding posthumous medal to Harvey Milk? But what of my friends who are out of the military, stripped of all benefits, my paired friends facing their marriages being dissolved and why did he not require health insurance for domestic partners working in government? Another sliver we were offered was inviting Reverend Robinson to give the closing prayer at the inauguration, after Rick Warren opened it. These trifles are not just meaningless but insulting as DADT and DOMA are intact.
And what of women? Was I entirely wrong to think, because his mother had ovarian cancer that he would never bargain with women's reproductive health? He lives with four females but drops women's reproductive health from the Health Care Reform Plan? Funding for women is the first to go as if it is always in play, the easiest to desert. Finally, didn’t I vote for someone who was going to shut down the US involvement in Iraq? What was in his mind when he made those promises? Did he know then he would actually escalate in Afghanistan, send troops back for more tours, replace Guantanamo; not end all torture. I did believe he knew that you can't kill your way to democracy.
For months friends told me to give him time. I have read that most of his appointees aren’t even n place yet though I find that, in itself, disturbing. I tried to understand his leadership methodology, thinking maybe he is using Wheatley, Senge, and misc authors from Barrett Koehler. However now, if he is using some type of leadership model, he has lost the plot. You cannot drop those whom you have collected. You cannot dump your believers, your followers, your visionaries, your workers, your donors. Why is the agreement of Olympia Snow more important than 86 Democratic members of the House?
Rule of Thumb: You build the unified tribe, remember the promises you made to them, holding their support as your empowerment to meet the unified mission. As your brave tribe members (such as Mr. Jones) are attacked, you defend them. But instead, one by one we are being abandoned. You are taking our support for granted. It is insulting. You are obviously not as smart as you think you are, as I thought you are, as you need to be.
I don't want to hear from Hillary fans who are thinking, "I told you so." This has nothing to do with that event which has most definitely sailed. My opinion is about now, today, this week, this president. I voted for the party, the platform, the alliance of the House, the Senate, the White House and, hopefully, a certainty that the Supreme Court appointees would be pro-woman, pro-labor, pro-humanity (as opposed to pro-corporate). It was a matter of creating an unstoppable coalition of democrats, a majority of democrats to finally bring the USA into a global conversation about climate, economics, education, military, sexual orientation and, finally, join the intelligent evolved countries in assuring health care for every citizen.
The fact that this candidate is Black, a Harvard graduate, a community organizer, the father of two girls I held some predictable expectations. I thought he would be a champion of the poor, the disenfranchised, those seeking equality. I thought he would surpass Clinton and Bush, who each had 6 women in the cabinet (he has 4). I thought he would close the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, (he expanded it). I thought he would sign the matched set of laws; the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Par Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. He signed one leaving the other necessary arm dangling thus rendering his signature a photo-op.
He stated clearly that he would be a "fierce advocate" for LGBT. Was that promise fulfilled by awarding posthumous medal to Harvey Milk? But what of my friends who are out of the military, stripped of all benefits, my paired friends facing their marriages being dissolved and why did he not require health insurance for domestic partners working in government? Another sliver we were offered was inviting Reverend Robinson to give the closing prayer at the inauguration, after Rick Warren opened it. These trifles are not just meaningless but insulting as DADT and DOMA are intact.
And what of women? Was I entirely wrong to think, because his mother had ovarian cancer that he would never bargain with women's reproductive health? He lives with four females but drops women's reproductive health from the Health Care Reform Plan? Funding for women is the first to go as if it is always in play, the easiest to desert. Finally, didn’t I vote for someone who was going to shut down the US involvement in Iraq? What was in his mind when he made those promises? Did he know then he would actually escalate in Afghanistan, send troops back for more tours, replace Guantanamo; not end all torture. I did believe he knew that you can't kill your way to democracy.
For months friends told me to give him time. I have read that most of his appointees aren’t even n place yet though I find that, in itself, disturbing. I tried to understand his leadership methodology, thinking maybe he is using Wheatley, Senge, and misc authors from Barrett Koehler. However now, if he is using some type of leadership model, he has lost the plot. You cannot drop those whom you have collected. You cannot dump your believers, your followers, your visionaries, your workers, your donors. Why is the agreement of Olympia Snow more important than 86 Democratic members of the House?
Rule of Thumb: You build the unified tribe, remember the promises you made to them, holding their support as your empowerment to meet the unified mission. As your brave tribe members (such as Mr. Jones) are attacked, you defend them. But instead, one by one we are being abandoned. You are taking our support for granted. It is insulting. You are obviously not as smart as you think you are, as I thought you are, as you need to be.
Thank you for articulating my confused feelings so well. I've been feeling slightly guilty for falling off the BHO bandwagon a few months ago, but no more. This post vindicates me. My gratitude runs deep.
Posted by: Wendy Werris | September 07, 2009 at 07:11 PM