It is a new year, and I am ready for a change. We, as a society, have become disrespectful. It has been a slow erosion of our appreciation for what we are lucky enough to have, because others defended our rights. I was raised to believe that I didn't have to agree with those around me, but I had to respect them. Saluting our flag and respecting our President was no more a choice for me than brushing my teeth or going to school. It was expected.
When I began teaching, I was horrified that my students didn't stand up for the morning flag ceremony. I remember telling them that they didn't have to agree with everything that our country was involved in, and they didn't even have to salute the flag, but they needed to stand to show respect for a piece of clothe that represents the rights that allow them to make such decisions. If they didn't respect that, I queried, what will they ever respect?
Now, after reading three anti-Obama entries on Facebook, I say the same to you all. I don't like every decision our President has made, just as I disagreed with decisions Bush, Clinton, Reagan, etc, etc, etc have made, BUT, I have ALWAYS respected the office they represented. I have done my share of "marching against the system" and will continue to do so, but in my house (and country) I will never show disrespect to the very core of our being. As angry as I got at my father when I was going though teenage angst, I always realized the responsibility for our household was his, and I never disrespected him in public. I feel the same about the office of the President. If you can't respect that, what can you respect?
Let's enter the new year with a determination to show the world that whoever is our President this term and the next, we will show the rest of the world that we are a United Front. We can fight our "family battles" without destroying the framework of our "family."
Speaking of presidential decisions, our current President certainly made the correct one when he chose a wife. Peter Slevin's biography, Michelle Obama:A Life, gave us insight into the woman who has definitely been an asset to his administration. Among other things, her status as a role model for young women of all races has never been in question. Grab this book and be a bit more impressed with the woman who pushed through her beginning years and became an important part of American history.
Time got in my way this week. I began two books that I found unreadable after Slevin's book, and I put them both away after pushing through half of each. I picked up another Tim Tigner book, Betrayal, and finally found something that captured my interest. I will review it next week, because I am only about 60% through at this time, but it seems like a winner. Unfortunately that leaves me with only one review for this week. Hopefully you will be too busy partying to care.
Wishing you all a year filled with health, happiness, smiles and books, books, books!
As always, complete reviews follow this blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly