Have you heard the latest news? Our president elect may not be eligible to serve, not just because he’s not a natural born American, but because he’s not even an earthling. A committee of Americans who have been kidnaped and subjected to humiliating experiments aboard flying saucers claim that they saw "a tall, dark complexioned being, with large ears," directing it all. Several victims had to be hospitalized after seeing Obama on television. As they were admitted, some screamed repeatedly "It’s them! It’s them! They’ve taken over!"
Of course this hasn’t actually happened. The whole idea is bizarre. But the efforts to keep Obama out of the White House in spite of an electoral vote landslide certainly border on the bizarre. Even the most conservative pundits have called for an end to the nonsense.
The legal challenges may have finally hit a brick wall. The Supreme Court has laughed them aside. That doesn’t stop hardliners from continuing their efforts to undermine confidence in the president elect. There are chain emails, "open letters" in newspapers, and fringe blog sites, to serve as their soap boxes.
Everyone within our borders has a right to his or her own opinion. It’s not treason to disagree with a politician’s actions or policies. There’s no law that says you must be delighted that Senator Obama will soon be President Obama, or that you have to like him. You won’t be arrested for continuing to wear a McCain-Palin button.
In my opinion, however, we do have an obligation to respect the authority of our duly elected leaders. Our nation is in the midst of a very serious crisis. America’s survival as a world leader and as a major economic power is more tenuous than ever before in my lifetime. Now is not when we can afford to waste our time and energy on juvenile distractions.
Think of America today as a bus on a treacherous mountain road with a steep drop-off. There are many who were pleased with the choice of a driver, and almost as many who were disappointed. But who, in his or her right mind, could think it serves our purpose to rip out the steering wheel?
Paul K. Fauteck, Psy.D.