A little after noon on Tuesday January 20, 2009 is the start of a dentist appointment, maybe a lunch date, but definitely not a new era. “Eras” are ushered in, and if you want a new one starting with Obama, a lot has to change. We can’t sit back, satisfied that the “Bush era” has ended. Part of the beauty of our democracy is that the people can vote someone else in. The equally beautiful part is that the people, too, are empowered to take responsibility. Rallying around Obama was an exciting success, but the work is just beginning.
The illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan still rage on, killing our brothers and sisters there daily. An era of change could include full and swift withdrawal from these wars. It could include an end to torture. With the hundreds of billions of dollars we could save simply if Congress voted to stop funding these wars, we could fund green energy, education, healthcare, housing and the other programs that are imperative to the future of equality and freedom in our country. And if we want it, we must make it happen.
Under Bush’s divisive policies, the people were paralyzed. To some, patriotism came to mean supporting the country no matter what, and “supporting the troops” came to mean letting them die in an unpopular, unnecessary and unjust war. To others, the Bush administration’s disregard for the will of the people became frustrating, and “realists” felt that there was no point in trying to change the disastrous course on which they took us.
It would be a mistake to see this pattern again with Obama. It would be a mistake if those who support him continue to do so blindly and universally, as Bush’s supporters did. It would be a mistake if, after putting someone new in office to try to fix our policy issues, we don’t engage with him. He can’t give the people what they want if we don’t tell him.
It is imperative now, more than ever, to put pressure on this administration for the change we need, on the terms we want it. One way to do this is through Our Spring Break. It’s an alternative spring break trip to Washington, D.C. that was founded by a Wesleyan student last year, and brought in about 150 people from around the country. We immerse ourselves in both the heart of the war machine and the huge network of people working to destroy it. This year, Our Spring Break will be bigger and better, as we are inspired and empowered by the step in the right direction that is Obama’s presidency. Change did not come that Tuesday when Obama was sworn in, and waiting for it is futile. As our president himself has said, “few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change. That’s how change has always happened, not from the top down but from the bottom up.” We would love for you to join us. You can go to ourspringbreak.org for more information.
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