She closed her speech by saying this is one of the most important campaigns of our lifetime. She said, “Everybody’s vote is equal” and went on to say, “The decision you will make in how you will look at this election and who you will vote for is one with momentous consequence.” While she did not mean it in the way I took it, I thought that statement had the potential to open up more dialogue on this 2008 election than any of the statements I heard come out of her speech today (aside from the fact that 2000 and 2004 proved that all votes are not considered equal).
Hillary took questions from the floor and in this setting, planted or not planted, I think she knew she wasn’t going to be asked anything she wouldn’t want to answer. Out of her question and answer session that lasted about ten minutes, she said she would end NCLB (all Democratic candidates had said this except Obama and Hillary earlier on in the race), toughen border security and force illegal immigrants to learn English and pay a fine or go home (audience erupted loudly when she said they need to learn English---my hometown does not like having to talk to people who are not “American”), bring troops home, give Americans access to the same health care options Congress has, and end student loan abuse by companies that give student loans to Americans.
When the Hillary Clinton event ended, the opportunity students, faculty, and the public of Mishawaka had was an exquisite one. The only problem was that Hillary did not fully represent the reality that Americans face. The reality her speech alluded to was filtered so that she could get the votes and support needed to win. This is standard for politicians but in doing so, she perpetuated ignorance.
Hillary led people to believe that NAFTA could be fixed and I have seen and heard nothing to suggest that it can be fixed. She spoke about the outsourcing of jobs and telling people that we should demand countries give people jobs so they do not have to immigrate to our country. She did not connect NAFTA to the immigration problem or outsourcing problem in America.
Hillary led people to believe that you can bring the troops home and still continue to employ people at defense contracting jobs. This is impossible and therefore, a solution for the American economy cannot involve bringing troops home or else people will become unemployed.
Hillary led people to believe that they need to support a health care plan that has so many bells and whistles to it that it makes people confused. She spoke about health care horror stories but did not share with people how these horror stories could still continue under her system because it would continue to be a managed health care system that health care corporations have the potential to profit off of. She did not mention the single-payer health care option Americans should have and how it is the best solution for fixing America’s health care as well as its economy for the long term.
Hillary led people to believe that the Iraqi government is the reason why the American military has not come home yet. She did not confess that they are still there because America plans to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq so that we can secure access to Iraqi oil and use our presence in the region to satisfy our interests in other countries in the Middle East. She did not confess that this plan is keeping Iraq from becoming a functioning democracy, from being rebuilt, and from allowing our troops to come home. She did not let people know that as senator she has not done all she possibly could do to end the war because she has refused to filibuster funding for the war and refused to speak out in favor of impeachment of Bush and Cheney.
Despite the perpetuation of ignorance, Hillary opened the door for discussion and debate on the issues Americans face. She opened the door for people to become civically engaged in politics and their community. She energized people and gave them a reason to care by coming to a small town like Mishawaka, which rarely sees politics or politicians treating it like a city that can make a difference in our democracy.
For that reason, Hillary Clinton did something that people of Mishawaka will remember for years to come.
As for myself, I pray and hope that people research some of what she said and has done in her career and reflect on the solutions and positions she took during her speech so that America become an even better nation than the nation she envisions herself leading.
1 | 2
