Overall, it was fine. There were assorted goals that will never be reached and programs that will never get started because of the gridlock in Washington. A GOP controlled House and the Senate where legislation traditionally goes to die because of the anti-democratic filibuster rule ensures nothing "big" will get done in the 112th congress. Of course, that is par for the course, I suppose, no matter which party controls the White House.
However, I have one very specific gripe with the address. While leading the obligatory circle jerk regarding the military, President Obama said this:
Our troops come from every corner of this country. They're black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American. They are Christian and Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay.
Certainly, I agree with the sentiment. We are a melting pot and we are all in this together. All good.
So, what is the problem you ask?
My problem is the lack of recognition for the non-believers amongst the military. Heck, of the 4000+ men and women who have died in our current wars, perhaps the only one who is not generally anonymous to the general population is Pat Tillman and, in case you missed it, this is what Pat's brother, Richard, had to say at his funeral:
Thank you for coming. Pat's a ***** champion and he always will be. Just make no mistake, he'd want me to say this. He's not with God. He's **** dead. He's not religious so, thanks for your thoughts, but he's **** dead.
Also, a check of wikipedia says this about the religious breakdown of the U.S.:
Christian (including Catholic & Protestant): 76.0%
Jewish: 1.2%
Muslim: 0.6%
Eastern Religions:0.9%
None/No Religion: 15.0%
Unknown (did not respond to survey): 5.2%
No shout out for 15%?!? Come on, Obama! I think some of us think you are not a secret Muslim but rather a secret Atheist. I mean, aren't you are too smart to believe in talking snakes and burning bushes and virgin births? It's nonsense. You know it. I know it. The American people, however, unfortunately don't seem to know it (although the survey showed an ~83% increase between 1990-2008 while those identifying as Christians decreased by 13% in the same time frame... so progress is being made).
Anyway, next year, how about a little respect for those of us who believe in logic?
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