On Sunday, the President gave the commencement address at The Ohio State University. In his address, Obama included the following:
“Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They’ll warn that tyranny is always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can’t be trusted.
We have never been a people who place all our faith in government to solve our problems. We shouldn’t want to. But we don’t think the government is the source of all our problems, either. Because we understand that this democracy is ours. And as citizens, we understand that it’s not about what America can do for us, it’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government. And class of 2013, you have to be involved in that process.”
I appreciate the President’s comment that “we have never been a people who place all our faith in government” and that “we don’t think the government is the source of all our problems.” The balance of those isolated statements seems prudent indeed.
However, the Intramuralist is concerned about one aspect contradictory of our mantra…
“… nothing more than some separate, sinister voices…”
No, I don’t care about that. There are people on the right, left, middle, all-over-the-place who call certain somethings “sinister.” That doesn’t alarm me.
“… tyranny is always lurking just around the corner…”
Lurking? Lurking?! Well, maybe. But that sounds more like an emotional plea designed to drum up passion. The President, his opponents, and supporters all seem to resort to emotional pleas when unfortunately deemed necessary. I, for one, believe arguments should be debated more on their logic than on all the accompanying emotion. But alas, I again digress…
“… And class of 2013, you have to be involved in that process.”
Excellent! We need to get the younger generations involved! You need to understand how government works! … it’s efficiencies and inefficiencies; it’s up to you to change this… to improve it… to be involved. Well said, Pres. Obama.
What concerns me? One line: “You should reject these voices.”
As long apparent amidst our postings, the Intramuralist always — yes, I said “always” — encourages dialogue. The only way to encourage dialogue is to also encourage active, sincere listening — and active, sincere listening of those who feel differently than you. If your argument is solid — absent of logical loopholes — there should be no reason to outright reject opposing voices. While there is no doubt Pres. Obama is an articulate, intelligent man, his admonition that the younger generation should simply reject the voices of those who passionately advocate for limited government seems unwise to me.
If — and I realize that’s a mighty big “if” — if we would entertain why there is a vocal desire for limited government — if we listened to those voices — what would we learn? Would we learn about where government is both efficient and inefficient? Would we learn about history? … where some governments have overreached and thus prompted national demise? What’s wrong with listening to those voices as opposed to rejection?
Listening, my friends, is wiser.
Respectfully…
AR