On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the memorial to Abraham Lincoln and addressed the vast crowds surrounding the reflecting pool. He spoke words stirring and inspiring, words that epitomized a piece of the so-called "American Dream," words that we have remembered as a credo. "I have a dream," he said, "that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Many people in America today have expressed their belief that after 45 long years, that dream is finally realized. A partially black man sits in the White House--judged, apparently, by the content of his character rather than the color of his skin. He is indeed to be admired: when he was born, to be a "half-breed" was to incur derision, insult, and perhaps injury; from that to have risen through the mostly-white society of Columbia University and the Ivy League and made it to the Presidency is a testament to will, determination, intelligence, and charisma.
It has been my luxury to watch the national (and international) euphoria at his inauguration from some distance, stationed as I am on a foreign military base and insulated from the day-to-day zeitgeist that has seized my countrymen. Though I regret not being able to enjoy in person the real hope Mr. Obama's election has given so many Americans, it seems oddly irrational and misplaced, in which it has much in common with the widespread contempt and hatred for his predecessor, George Bush.
Much ink has already been spilled regarding Mr. Bush. He has been portrayed as a tyrant and a dictator both for his part in allowing our government to spy on us in an effort to catch domestically-based terrorists and for his seeming eagerness to go to war; he has also been portrayed as a Paladin, courageously protecting America in spite of the obvious hatred of his citizens. An article in The Economist explained his controversial nature best, I think, positing that he was excessively and fiercely partisan, shutting out quality opposition politicians in favor of "his boys" (good repulicans all)--whether or not they had the talent to do their job well. The best-remembered instance of the resulting and depressingly wide-spread mismanagement was his Defense Secretary's failed plan for post-conflict Iraq, where insufficient American troops were unable to stop growing sectarian violence that nearly tore the fledgling country apart.
There is no question, I think, that this particular criticism of Mr. Bush is justified. Yet I wonder: will no one say a word about his sincerity? will no one give him credit for a demonstrable and unwavering commitment to defending his nation? will no one recognize that despite his many (and perhaps unforgiveable) offenses he tried as America's leader to do right by the world? will no one even applaud his temperance and apparent devotion to his family? He had moral courage: in accordance with his values he opposed abortion and gallantly championed the cause of freedom--even with the lives of Americans. He called fundamentalist Islam by its true name: Evil. He had character and integrity, best demonstrated by the many times visited the men and women he sent in harm's way in order to show his concern for them and tell them face-to-face that he didn't hold their lives cheap but rather truly believed in the cause he had made their own. Sadly, his mistakes show that though he was a good man, he fell short of the greatness that his term as president demanded. I don't, however, think any honest observer could say he lacked the kind of character Rev. King was talking about.
Mr. Bush's very vocal detractors did not judge him on his character, at least not his personal character. They apparently didn't much care about his personal character. What of his character they judged they interpolated from his politics, which disagreed with their own. Their idea of a "good man" was not necessarily one who developed and stuck with convictions, or one who struggled to be a good husband and father, or even one who went out of his way to show his people that he cared about them. Their idea of a good man was one who respected women enough to give them the right to choose abortion, one who made the institution of social justice a top priority, and one who went out of his way to co-exist with neighbors, even at the expense of compromising values. In essence, their idea of a good man was one whose values agreed with their own, and they taught our nation that one's character isn't formed in his or her personal life, but rather in the public life. Mr. Bush's politics were arrogant and bourgeois, and therefore so was his character.
Now, of course, they declare with equal vehemence that the nobility of Mr. Obama's character. His values agree with theirs and he displays in his public life all the indicators of good politics, and for those politics he won the election. Thus Rev. King's words have indeed come true, for between the Presidents Bush and Obama America has made judgment, and found the content of Mr. Obama's character to be greater than that of Mr. Bush. This essay is not the place to discuss the contradictory values of these two men, nor does Mr. Obama's personal character need any defense. But to judge the latter on his politics and call that his character is unfair and deprecating. Surely, despite his politics, we might take heart in his idealism and charisma. Surely, we can see that his apparent success as a community member, husband, and father bodes well for his Presidency. And surely, to disagree with his politics does not preclude appreciating his other attributes.
It is well that so many Americans hope for a better future shaped by the ideas of our inspiring new President. But those ideas are at best the product of his character and not its substance. I also have high hopes for Mr. Obama and his adminstration and yet I mourn the departure of a good, sincere, courageous, and caring man who, despite mistakes, has over the last eight years displayed great "character" in guiding America's unequivocal response to the threatening circumstances of his time.
Rev. King's famous words still reverberate in our souls, the more so because they are not yet realized. We have so far advanced in social justice that we have a mixed-race president, and that is very good. How sad, then, that in our treatment of Mr. Bush we have shown ourselves still very far indeed from Rev. King's idealistic and inspiring dream.
