Like many of you, I watched and listened to the President’s speech on Tuesday night.
Also like many of you, so much of me wished to avoid it.
My lack of desire had nothing to do with avoiding the sobering situations on the planet. It also had nothing to do with who was actually speaking. My desire to avoid the President’s speech was due to the fact that even from a distant vantage point, it is clear that politics are involved. It’s involved in the White House. It’s involved in the Congress. It’s involved in the pundits and reporters who boldly pounce before the microphones. And at a time when lives and security are solemnly at stake, my earnest desire is that all decision-making would be free from politics.
Because of the politics, I don’t believe the public receives the entire, unfiltered truth. With the solicited skill of professional speechwriters, our leaders’ speeches are written and re-written multiple times in attempts to best persuade… to coax instead of communicate… to convince instead of encouraging consideration… and to influence instead of inform. The Intramuralist is well aware that we do not all agree on the same subjects nor with equivalent fervency, but my desire — especially when lives may be at stake — is that we would be allowed to make our own decisions in regard to what is right and appropriate. There need be no manipulation. There need be no politics.
So on Tuesday, our President wanted to speak to us. If my President is speaks, I will listen. I want to hear what he has to say.
You know what struck me?
Pres. Obama spent much of his time on television appealing to our emotion…
“The images from this massacre are sickening: Men, women, children lying in rows, killed by poison gas. Others foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath. A father clutching his dead children, imploring them to get up and walk. On that terrible night, the world saw in gruesome detail the terrible nature of chemical weapons, and why the overwhelming majority of humanity has declared them off-limits — a crime against humanity, and a violation of the laws of war…
I ask you to reconcile your belief in freedom and dignity for all people with those images of children writhing in pain, and going still on a cold hospital floor…
I’d ask every member of Congress, and those of you watching at home tonight, to view those videos of the attack, and then ask: What kind of world will we live in if the United States of America sees a dictator brazenly violate international law with poison gas, and we choose to look the other way?”
The images Obama describes are awful. Horrific. Condemnation of the behavior is deserving. However, no matter the emotion the images elicit, we cannot allow the emotion to trump the logic; logic and emotion must be equally considered.
Logically speaking, if we attack Syria, who will attack us? What incident will serve as the next USS Cole, the homicide attack on our American missile destroyer, set in the Yemen sea? What will Syria — or Iran — or any Islamic extremists — do next?
That’s a logical question.
We can’t ignore it. We cant dismiss it. We also can’t allow our emotions to trump it.
Respectfully,
AR