Just a President

A uniter. That’s what Bush claimed he’d be. A uniter, not a divider. But of course, this country is wrenchingly divided, and every day, I hear more stories of people who find these divisions within their own families. The same is true in my family, and so for all our sakes, we just don’t talk about it, which is made easier because on many important issues (like gay rights, for example, and the right to choose), we are on the same page. Not all divided families are so lucky, though, and each day, I hear more stories of families struggling to get past a division that becomes increasingly insurmountable as Bush remains in office. I regularly get emails from people (often gay people) whose families have been torn apart during his presidency, as old wounds are ripped open and treated with salt on a national level, and it’s not remotely uncommon to see similar tales recounted in the comments threads around here.

And so when I read the following from Cindy Sheehan, I was not sad, but not surprised:

Still putting out the O'Reilly fires of me being a traitor and using Casey's name dishonorably, my in-laws sent out a press statement disagreeing with me in strong terms; which is totally okay with me, because they barely knew Casey. We have always been on separate sides of the fence politically and I have not spoken to them since the election when they supported the man who is responsible for Casey's death. The thing that matters to me is that our family -- Casey's dad and my other 3 kids are on the same side of the fence that I am.

I was also reminded of the words of someone who felt destined to cause such family rifts:

Luke 12:51-53: Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against his mother-in-law.

Sound familiar?

I don’t mean to suggest that this is evidence that Bush is Jesus (although, I’m open to arguments that he’s the antichrist). I just think it’s telling that so many people seem to worship him in the same way they worship a Messiah—with such devoted and unwavering fervor that he becomes more important to them than their own families.

It’s simply incredibly to me that people are not only more loyal to Bush than to America but find their allegiance to him stronger than to their own flesh and blood. He is just a man, and one who flaunts his contempt at having been hired to work for all of us, at that. He’s a divider, not a uniter—and he’s not a savior, either. He’s just a president.