The State of the Union

For my inaugural blog, I have chosen to respond to President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address. In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not see the speech live; however, I accessed the Web and read the full text. By reading the text only, obviously I missed the nuances of the President’s delivery, and I missed the nature of the Congress’ reactions.

I welcome you to respond to my words and hope this leads to a tactful and productive exchange of ideas. Our nation is too polarized at this time. I have no intention of this blog contributing to this divisiveness, which in many ways is beginning to tear at our country’s fabric.

I could say much about the President’s speech; he provided us with ample discussion material. However, I will not speak about the War in Iraq or the war on terror. These issues are simply too emotional and polarizing at this time. Addressing them in text alone will not do them justice. To avoid misinterpretations and misunderstandings, I would rather engage in a face to face discussion on these issues.

Having thus set the table, I want to talk about two subjects the President did not address in his speech: global warming and Hurricane Katrina.

There is consensus that global warming is no longer open to debate. It is fact. The United States has done more than its fair share of contributing to global warming with our consumption of fossil fuels.

Our nation is sorely lacking in an energy policy. We have only been called upon to conserve energy; but no tangible plan has been offered. Our cars keep getting bigger. Our factories continue to pollute unnecessarily.

In his speech, President Bush did not mention “global warming.” He did not speak of how we have contributed to it. He only said the following: “America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.” He also called upon us to reduce gasoline usage and to increase alternative fuels.

However, he offered no plan to bring this about. In past speeches, President Bush has been long on rhetoric and short on action. I will believe him when he presents a plan to make his words a reality.

Now let me address another issue the President failed to address: our failure to repair the damage Hurricane Katrina inflicted upon New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. More full disclosure. I have family in New Orleans, a brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, in addition to a cousin. To me, New Orleans is personal.

I believe our federal, state and local governments have failed miserably to save a part of our nation that makes us unique. With its culture, people, architecture, music and food, there is only one New Orleans; and we are witnessing its decline.

We are spending billions of dollars to repair and rebuild Iraq. We are spending additional funds to address HIV/AIDS and malaria across the globe. The President even mentioned how we have a responsibility to address the genocide in Darfur (more rhetoric … another genocide is occurring as nations continue to stand by idly.)

But did the President mention our responsibility to rebuild one of our own cities in ruins? No. I do not understand how he could fail to call for our nation to care for our own, to repair destroyed neighborhoods, to enable those who fled to return. To save the Crescent City and the Gulf Coast, grassroots efforts, local governments and the private sector are not enough. We need federal action.

I look forward to reading your responses. Let me stress that disagreement within the Jewish community is about as old as the Jewish community. We know how to debate, and we know how to do so tactfully. I anticipate this blog being an open forum for us to continue this tradition and for our productive exchange of ideas only to bring us closer.

I wish you only the best!