Dr. King and Common Sense

President Obama’s speech commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s, “I Have  A Dream” speech was truly eloquent. Made more so by his expression of the America Dr. King espoused, with freedom, liberty and opportunity for all. It was a refreshing respite from the divisive diatribes we hear with the president's every utterance. The rapid fire, platitudes he delivers with staccato, pin-point accuracy, as he deftly avoids stepping on his applause lines. The president is an accomplished campaigner who can’t seem to get off the stump.
Americans love heroes and Dr. King was a courageous and prophetic hero. As he paid homage to Dr. King, the president re-kindled a flickering ash of the promise that was once Barak Obama.

We know the president is a great speech maker. Unfortunately this is the only discernible world class quality he has demonstrated to date. After the wonderful and deserved tribute to Dr. King, I pray that the president’s incantation of Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning,” finds fruition. But this morning I see worrisome issues: the economy, problems with the Health Care Reform Act, joblessness, Iran, Syria.

We stand on the precipice of more military action of one kind or another in the festering sore of the Middle East. It suppurates continually with no end in sight. Luckily, we are well stocked with band aids for all but, unfortunately, closure for none. Does anyone think this is going to turn out ok? Have we not learned the lessons from the last Bush administration? Or, more recently, the "Arab Spring?"

When we don’t really know who we’re dealing with, is it logical to expect a positive outcome even in the short term? We like to align ourselves with so-called rebel freedom fighters who stab us in the back after we arm them and do their bidding while simultaneously antagonizing an important ally that has stood by us through the years. This is dicey policy making.

Sure Syria’s Bashar al-Assad should go but I’ve had my fill of regime change. Moreover, where does it end. There are hot spots in every part of the world. How do we choose one over the other. How do we assess oppression? What is the metric?

Dr. King knew Vietnam was the wrong war, in the wrong place. I hope the president can be as insightful as he contemplates any future military options.