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The Byrd's nest: 'Yet Still United!'

This week the nation witnessed a number of atrocities both here and abroad. In Oakland Oscar Grant III was shot by police while already subdued, after having a fight on a subway. The officer says that he was reaching for his taser, I wonder when taser’s received triggers? Clearly some things have changed that I didn’t know. All along people have been dying in both Gaza and Israel and of course in other cities and countries around the world as well.

 

This week on Facebook I took part in a number of discussions, some held by Jewish people and others by Muslims. I found it very interesting that while each was supporting the efforts of different groups, they each shared one thing – a distrust and disgust for Barack Obama. On the Pro-Israel side of the argument the people I spoke with were disappointed that after he pledged to be there for Israel during the campaign no comment was made, the Pro-Gaza constituency disgruntled by his silence thus far the same reason only in regards to Palestine. Erroneous comments about his character and his morals were made by both, and implications that in deed we (America) had made the wrong choice in our commander and chief. I truly was amazed as each laid this in some way at his feet as if this is not a conflict that outdates us all, as if this is not a religious war that has never seen an end – only brief moments of ceasefires.

 

I believe I joined these discussions because I was extremely upset. Not with the way that Barack was being portrayed or called names, which should be expected. Some black people had been saying that he was a sell-out before he was ever elected, and those that are Republican have painted him as everything from the anti-Christ to that which will be the end of America as we know it. Some arguments were absurd; others had some reason to them though I did not agree. More than anything I was fascinated at how two groups of people right here in the U.S. could be so greatly divided over an issue and yet all agree on one thing – Barack Obama is not doing his job well enough.

 

It was if no one had ever heard of Inauguration day, knew nothing of oaths of office and the swearing in with hand placed upon Bible. When I defended the President-Elect to one party I was told I just wanted to believe in him and that I could remain hopeful but they didn’t believe he was going to do a darn thing when he was officially the President. Obama-nites is what those that saw my point were called as we asked how can you say he’s not done enough when he hasn’t been a capacity as of yet to do anything? I went on in these discussions for days. In the Pro-Israel arguments I found myself explaining Islam more than I did defending Barack. So many have told such facetious things about the Muslim people and believe it, before we could even have an intelligent discussion I had to help them understand the truth to some degree. Once that was done, then we found out why they didn’t like him either and you know what? This week it was for the same reason as the Pro-Gaza folks. He (Barack Obama) hadn’t said anything about the bombings or about the deaths and the body count was rising each day.

 

Then Barack held a press conference and made a statement that summed up all of what I had been saying in the discussions all long, but as usual for he in a far more eloquent way. He said that “institutional constraints were not the same as silence” and that was that. As the 20^th of January approaches we have seen him become more and more direct with the public and the media while maintaining a poise and composure that makes some weary of him. Mostly because you really can not tell what the man is thinking or planning to do, he is very deliberative, and that is not by accident. The news media has tried to make him say something more than he wantd to for weeks and though baited on a daily basis he still has not been prompted to speak out of turn. I think it a disgusting part of the press that tries such things but then I guess now that I write this article in some ways I am now one of them too. I wanted to bring to the forefront the irony of the situation that though each believed that the country with whom they sympathized were in the right and justified for their actions, both were against Barack Obama. It was truly befuddling and yet in some way it also gave me some hope. It may seem silly to you but I see it as a sign that common ground can be found even amongst the most unlikely people.

 

In the meantime while we wait on the lines of communication to be opened and some type of resolution to be made either by the current administration of 9 days from now by the Obama-Biden administration, let us all remember the countless lives lost of what race or creed it makes no difference. Women and children have died and it should not matter from where, we have in most recent years become desensitized to the loss of life as though each one has no value. Let us remember the people of Gaza and those of Israel killed this week regardless of whom you believe to be right, let us remember that the death of a child for whatever reason still leaves a family in pain and a mother beside herself, let us try to appeal to the better nature of humanity in this time of gross atrocities and find sustainable hope in turning a new corner in the region. It must begin somewhere; I took my campaign to Facebook arguing one at a time with each until eventually I wore some down. I didn’t want them to like Obama, more I wanted them to hate less the people, stop seeing them as “Muslims” and “Jews” and see human beings. That is where I believe peace begins, in the changing of how we perceive one another. Let us stop labeling and see nothing but the one thing that we have in common, we are all human.