A Bittersweet Victory

My oldest son who assures me weekly that Barack Obama hung the moon owes me a cold beer for these words. Its been a bittersweet week having been put in the unusual position of sincerely congratulating the work of President Obama. That work of course, is the leadership he displayed in not only green lighting the mission to take Osama bin Laden but the way in which it was to be accomplished. Big risk, big reward. To be entirely honest this episode spoke more to the work of CIA Director Leon Panetta, the Pentagon apparatus, the quiet professionals of our Special Forces teams and most ironically, those ‘inhumane’ Guantanamo interrogators who extracted such actionable information. One would hope through this experience that President Obama would understand from here out that when one embraces the notion of American exceptionalism and allows it the freedom to operate ….. good things inevitably happen.

Our Spirit Under Attack

Remember when we used to have a little swagger – when it was okay to wear a little brashness and bravado for being American; products of a country that created an environment to learn, grow, and contribute to its greatness. Something has changed. When did we go from Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill” where achieving professional success or living the life of a rugged, independent cowboy were compliments of the same magnitude – to where we are cast today as just another homogenous people governed by an untouchable ruling class that highlights our faults on every front, cowers from our rightful position in civilized society and those with their hand out are elevated above those with their hands at work.