Politics Another Word for Power

I had the pleasure to attend one portion of the T. L. Bozeman High School Class of 1959 50^th Reunion last week. I watched as the surviving classmates laughed and greeted each other while remembering old times. My good friend, Mary Colson, referred to by her classmates as the glue that held the reunion together did not surprise me. She has served this community and school system diligently for many years.

Mary offered me a DVD which was prepared very well by former resident of Hawkinsville, Robert Scott. As I watched and enjoyed the scenery around the city by the muddy river, and the still-life pictures of students from that time long ago, I was touched by the students who overcame a life of segregation to make the most of their lives. Mister Scott also had live movie shorts featuring such early musical stars as Little Richard and Ray Charles, both Georgia natives and many others who performed to the enjoyment of Blacks and Whites as well.

Mister Scott interviewed a number of the classmates for the DVD presentation, asking a variety of questions. The one question he asked each person was, “Did you think you would ever live to see a Black president?”

Their answers were all the same. “No, never!”

“How does it make you feel?” was his next question. All of those who were interviewed said generally how proud they were, and they hoped he did a good job.

I could tell that they were very proud to have their race represented in the highest elected office in the nation. I felt the exact same way when a Georgia native, Jimmy Carter was elected. After the debacle of LBJ, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, I bit hook, line, and sinker for his line, “I’ll never tell you a lie!” How proud I was to help elect a fellow Georgian! Little did I realize that he would turn out to be the worst President in my lifetime, up to this point anyway.

But the change that I’ve seen since January—with the emphasis on “change”—gives me pause to be concerned for our nation, and I can only hope that President Obama doesn’t continue on his path and disappoint all those 1959 graduates.

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) asked rhetorically, “Is health care a constitutional right?” He answered, “Well, we believe that people do and we're introducing a constitutional amendment just to make it real clear so that you don't have to infer or assume that that's a given and all that.”
In a sense, Obama admits the unpopularity of the major proposals being bantered about in Congress. “This has been the most difficult test for me so far in public life,” he complained, “trying to describe in clear, simple terms how important it is that we reform this system. The case is so clear to me. ”
“And the case is equally clear to many that Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress are acting unconstitutionally,” said Economist Walter E. Williams. “Look it up! Health care isn’t there!”
Columnist Rich Hrebic explains, “A right is not a guarantee that the government (i.e., other people) will provide you something for free. We have the right to engage in religious expression, but that doesn't mean that the government pays for the construction of the church. We have the right to peacefully assemble, but the government doesn't promise to supply your transportation. You have the right to keep and bear arms, but don't expect the government to provide you with a free firearm and bullets. You have the right to free speech, but the government won't grant you free radio or TV air time. What makes something a right is not whether the government can force somebody else to pay for it.”