I Am An American First

Another bloodless revolution took place on Nov. 4 and Sen. Barack Obama became our president-elect and will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009, as our president. He was not my choice, but I will abide by the decision of our fellow citizens as I have in the past.
I often harken back to my 35 years in the military when I did not always agree with exactly what was occurring politically or militarily. My guiding light was always my oath of office that was taken each time that I was promoted from midshipman to second lieutenant to colonel: "I do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. That I will bear truth faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion. That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter so help me God."
Those are heavy words and are usually a guiding light for most officers. Our enlisted troops take much the same oath except they include the words: "that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over me."
President-elect Obama will take much the same oath as officers to defend the Constitution. Congressmen and senators also take an oath to defend the Constitution. In the case of our officers, they are usually subjected to instruction and leadership from more senior and experienced officers who not only teach these responsibilities, but also live them before the junior officers are placed in positions of authority.
If only that were true for our politicians.
We are facing difficult times in multiple areas for our nation. The economy is high on the list, and the last thing that we need is to raise taxes of any type. Another threat is terrorism. We have not been hit since 9/11, and I doubt if it is because the terrorists have not tried. We hear about our failure of intelligence almost immediately, but our successes are rarely reported and rightly so.
The two fronts in our war on terrorism are progressing. Iraq has made a definite turnaround and appears to be moving to a successful completion. Afghanistan is a little more troubling, but part of that is due to the border with Pakistan and the ability of the terrorists to escape across the border to train and recoup.
What the new president initially does concerning this war will be watched and analyzed by both our friends and the terrorists. If either one of these believe that we are either weak or uncertain, then reactions will occur. Weak leaders are taken advantage of while strong leaders are respected and not challenged.
Businesses are looking for signs of what to expect from the new administration. The day after the election, the market dropped almost 500 points. It dropped almost another 500 points on Thursday. Throughout the campaign, mixed signals have been proposed about what would occur in this administration. New environmental regulations for energy such as coal upset the market and create uncertainty. Investors do not invest to lose money and if markets in the USA are perceived as iffy, the money goes elsewhere.
The selection of key cabinet members will speak volumes about where this administration intends to lead us. The majority of Americans will give the new administration a period of time to settle, but the initial steps will be critical.
This is a time for bold action and bold leadership.