Catch a Grenade
You know that song on the radio, I'll catch a grenade for you... I think the artist is Bruno Mars. I was listening to it on the radio driving home today and thought, yup. That's my story. I'll catch a grenade for you but will you catch one for me?
Probably not even a softball tossed if you're wearing a glove and the ball was lobbed lightly.
Since it's a song theme, and an often song theme, I guess I'm not alone.
But why? Why do I put myself in the position of doing anything and everything for some people only to be handed back a less than enthusiastic response?
Now stepping in front of a train for my babies? Oh yes. No question. Now, tomorrow, forever. They are my children. It's what parents do. Well, except for the few that drive them into the river.
Maybe, even then, there is some warped sense of saving them.
I think about President Obama and how he's catching grenades every day. Do we love him back the same way? Nope. We want more, we deserve more, we expect more. We have no patience for him to have a bad day or bad decision.
He is the President. Part of the job description must be, "thankless hours of hard work..."
He's not been perfect. Not even remotely but then, neither am I. I whine too much, too often. About 20 years ago, my sister gave me a sign that says, "Thou Shalt Not Whine." I still have it hanging in my bedroom.
Sometimes, I think we liberals need to all have that sign hanging somewhere to see. For the first time in... well... forever, we have a President who is addressing issues never touched before. Third rail politics, meaning, if you touch it, you're dead.
Health care. Gay rights- a hate crime bill passed, DADT repealed, and countless changes for LGBT federal employees.
Is it enough? No. But when I think of the other side being at the helm, I feel myself ready to catch a grenade for Obama.
Of course, I'm all over catching grenades.
Maybe it's time to be a little more choosy.
Probably not even a softball tossed if you're wearing a glove and the ball was lobbed lightly.
Since it's a song theme, and an often song theme, I guess I'm not alone.
But why? Why do I put myself in the position of doing anything and everything for some people only to be handed back a less than enthusiastic response?
Now stepping in front of a train for my babies? Oh yes. No question. Now, tomorrow, forever. They are my children. It's what parents do. Well, except for the few that drive them into the river.
Maybe, even then, there is some warped sense of saving them.
I think about President Obama and how he's catching grenades every day. Do we love him back the same way? Nope. We want more, we deserve more, we expect more. We have no patience for him to have a bad day or bad decision.
He is the President. Part of the job description must be, "thankless hours of hard work..."
He's not been perfect. Not even remotely but then, neither am I. I whine too much, too often. About 20 years ago, my sister gave me a sign that says, "Thou Shalt Not Whine." I still have it hanging in my bedroom.
Sometimes, I think we liberals need to all have that sign hanging somewhere to see. For the first time in... well... forever, we have a President who is addressing issues never touched before. Third rail politics, meaning, if you touch it, you're dead.
Health care. Gay rights- a hate crime bill passed, DADT repealed, and countless changes for LGBT federal employees.
Is it enough? No. But when I think of the other side being at the helm, I feel myself ready to catch a grenade for Obama.
Of course, I'm all over catching grenades.
Maybe it's time to be a little more choosy.
posted by Sara at 6:32 PM
3 Comments:
it is a thankless job. for the life of me i can't think why anyone would want it!
i'll try not to toss any grenades your way, but if i do, feel free to just duck!
You're being awfully generous with President Obama, my friend. I do give him credit for touching those 3rd rails, yes, but I wouldn't call that catching grenades. He made those promises in his campaign. You can call me a whiner, I don't mind, but I'll continue to call him out when I feel he's not living up to his promises of changing the way our country is headed.
Obama courted the progressive voters, and has turned out to be a centrist moving to the right -- to quote Jeffrey Sachs from the Huffington Post:
"In the end, we have gotten from President Obama what we feared from Senator McCain: an expanded war in Afghanistan, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts, sharp cuts in spending for communities and programs for the poor, a continuation of Guantanamo and military tribunals, unchecked bankers’ pay and bonuses, and enough loopholes to reduce corporate taxes to less than 2 percent of GDP this year, despite a boom in corporate profits."
Sorry for the rant/ whining, but I fear we're going to end up with the other side at the helm next term anyway ...
I think you are right about being on the other side, sue. I cannot stand a republican in charge. pawlenty? romney? oh dear god.
Obama has failed on some issues. Let's face it, we've not seen a democrat with any real ideological differences since JFK. Probably earlier.
Gore and Bush were only a few percentage points apart on tax breaks for the rich.
But I've watched Gov. patrick do amazing things as someone who was not running for re-election. amazing. stunning. I think if Obama was elected to a second term, we would see some amazing things happen.
maybe I'm wrong. but I'd bet on him over the republicans any day.
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