Editor’s note: This commentary is by Don Keelan, a certified public accountant and resident of Arlington. The piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
If President Obama wishes to spend time chatting with his golf buddies, wealthy donors (at $32,500 per person picnics) and Hollywood stars, he should do so. I don’t really care. What I do care about is his lack of spending anytime directly, addressing the American people, as our president, concerning the various crisis throughout the world and here at home.
What the president should do is to take a page out the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt or more recently, President Ronald Reagan. It could take place in the living room at his retreat, at Camp David and go on national TV and speak to the American people (and the people of the world as well).
The president needs to explain a number of national and world issues that are igniting the fear of so many. The American people need clarification from their leader when it comes to the terrible news that is being sent out on social media, cable news and in the print media.
The order of importance I will leave up to the president to decide but his address to us, in part, should include: Is there a real and present danger to America from the terrorist group known as ISIS, the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq? Does he see America’s military going back to this part of the world to defeat the threat and will he create a coalition of other countries?
Can he reassure us that the outbreak of the Ebola virus in western Africa can be limited to that area or must we be taking whatever steps are necessary to prevent its spread beyond Liberia and Sierra Leone?
What you need to do is to spend time with the American people by addressing their concerns and fears — not by press conferences or at campaign functions but as FDR would have done — speaking directly to the American people.
Mr. President, tell us what we must do to bring the war in Gaza to an end? What don’t we know from media reports, as to why there has been no agreement to settle? Why don’t you do what President Carter did for Israel and Egypt — bring the leaders to Camp David and become involved in getting the parties to settle once and for all?Is the conflict in Ukraine an isolated border dispute between Russia and Ukraine or will it spread to other eastern European countries and draw us in because the U.S. is a signatory to NATO? Mr. President, give us assurance that Europe has not gone back to 1938/39?
You need to tell us if we have to side with Iran and Syria to gain their support to bring stability to the collapsing government of Iraq? And can we expect the same next year, when American forces are fully disengaged in Afghanistan? If so how do we deal with Iran and its continuing development of its nuclear program for other than energy production?
With so much that is going on in the world are we sure China and North Korea are not attempting to take advantage of the existing chaos?
A great many Americans who live in the Southwest are in fear because of our unprotected and porous border. Will you address how you intend to stop the illegal immigrants from coming through? And at the same time assure us that terrorists will not be in a position to enter America as some political and military leaders have suggested they can do.
The border issue is of major concern but there are many other national issues that we fear and do not know what is going on. Specifically, can you assure us that we as a nation will move to become oil independent by moving on the Keystone Pipeline? Will your newly appointed leader in charge of the Affordable Health Care program finally get it to where you had intended it to be? And will you recognize that the U.S. economy has not been fully engaged — it’s in a drag mode and desperately needs your attention.
Mr. President, what transpired recently in Ferguson, Missouri, could have taken place in so many other American cities. Your sending the Rev. Al Sharpton to be your representative was not a good choice. What Ferguson needs and so does the rest of the country is not a ‘firebrand” with a bag full of incendiary remarks, but a calming trusting and respectful leader. Gen. Colin Powell would have been a much better choice as your representative.
The office of the president has many aspects to it. One of the most important is that of bringing calm to the citizens of the country. What you need to do is to spend time with the American people by addressing their concerns and fears — not by press conferences or at campaign functions but as FDR would have done — speaking directly to the American people.
