Proud to be a what

by Art Pearl

John F. Kennedy in his 1961 Inaugural Address famously informed us, "Ask not what your can do for you, ask what you can do can do for your country."

That statement ought to be the basis for bringing sanity to this 'Proud to be an American' bru-ha-ha. Why? Anyone concerned about the United States, and that obviously does not include folks who make their living on talk radio or Fox News, ought not ponder whether those surrounding a presidential candidate are proud of their country - but whether their country has reason to be proud of them. That is the only issue. Everything else is insignificant.

Michelle Obama has taken a bunch of heat by right wing talk show hosts and other slime because she said that as a result of some recent happenings, like for instance people voting for her husband, ”for the first time (in her adult life she was) proud to be an American.” That comment prompted Cindy McCain, John McCain’s second wife feeling the need to do more than share cookie recipes, to enter the fray. Now, this is no Cindy come proud lately, she was one of the very many who has always been proud to be an American. In her case even when she was stealing drugs from a medical charity. And this was considered news. No, not that she stole drugs to feed her habit, but that she was always proud to be an American.

In the first place who in the world would believe that Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama grew up or live in the same America. One was a child of privilege, the only daughter of a rich beer distributor, a University of Southern California graduate with a teaching credential and a master’s degree in special education who chose not to work in the family business and decided instead to help children with disabilities. Certainly commendable, deserving recognition from the country though considering the way she dealt with her drug problem hardly enough for her country to be proud of her.

The other, Michelle Robinson, was no child of privilege. She grew up in Chicago, her blue collar parents both worked in decent jobs – the kind that are disappearing from today’s work place. Michelle graduated from public school and went on to ivy league Princeton. Unless you were a legacy admission, meaning at least one of your parents were alumni, being admitted to Princeton was no easy accomplishment. Roughly 13% of Princeton admissions are legacy admissions, 6% are African Americans. And even a dummy like Rush Limbaugh, also a child of privilege, would realize that there are lots more African Americans in the United States than Princeton graduates. She not only was admitted, she graduated. For that accomplishment alone her country has reason to be proud of her. But it doesn’t stop there. She goes on to earn a Law degree at Harvard. Another reason for her country to be proud. Only about 12% of all applicants are admitted to Harvard Law School. Since graduating from law school, Michelle now Obama engaged in a variety of significant community serving activities. The May 2006 edition of Essence magazine included Michele Obama in its list of the "25 Most Inspiring Women in the World."

Neither Michelle nor Cindy McCain are significant factors in this - one of the most important elections in United States History. We are being offered an opportunity to choose between two very different approaches to unprecedented challenges – a downward plummeting economy, the continual outsourcing of good jobs to other countries, an endangered environment, an energy crisis, assaults on our security, dangerous inroads on constitutional guarantees, an obsolete educational system in serious need of updating, a health system dangerously out of whack. These are the things that need serious debating. Not needed are one minute non-answers to silly questions or frets about which of the candidate’s wives is more proud to be an American.