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By Jamilah Hoffman
That’s what Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said as the 79-year old Pullman car stopped in Philadelphia. Obama’s whistle-stop train tour has been full of words, historical comparisons and over-the-top patriotism. From retracing the tracks that Abraham Lincoln travelled 150 years ago to his own inauguration, to taking the oath of office on Lincoln’s personal bible, and then afterwards, sitting down to enjoy some of Lincoln’s favorite foods; this has been the photo op to top all photo ops. It all seems to be a bit, well, much. But at the same time, there is a real need for the ruling class in this country to rally as many people as they can under their flag. With troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and an economic crisis growing, it’s important for them to not just maintain control of the people, but to have active participants upholding their program.
Obama told the Philadelphia crowd, "It was here that a group of farmers and lawyers, merchants and soldiers, gathered to declare their independence and lay claim to a destiny that they were being denied."
Obama seems to have left out the slave owners from that group. And the “destiny” that this group was laying claims to include the land that was stolen from the Native Americans. He left out the part about the genocidal actions towards the Native Americans as well.
Obama has also said that, "The American Revolution was — and remains — an ongoing struggle 'in the minds and hearts of the people' to live up to our founding creed. Starting now, let's take up in our own lives the work of perfecting our union."
Let’s put the 200 some odd years of “perfecting” the union to the side, if our focus begins with ourselves, our union and our nation, then there is little difference between Obama’s words and the John McCain slogan of “Country First,” which not only reeks of fascism, but conditions people to put their own needs ahead of what is needed to really stop the crimes of this government. We need mass, independent political action where people think, not just about themselves, but about what’s in the best interest of humanity.
Obama is a skillful orator and many people find solace in his words of change and unity. But you cannot speak of change if you continue the unjust and immoral wars of your predecessor and we cannot unite with someone who believes that the man who waged those wars is, “a good guy.”
Words matter. They matter indeed.
So do actions.
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