What the President SHOULD Have Said

NOTE: The following is OPINION. It is the Point of View of the author, and he alone is responsible for the content therein

On Saturday afternoon, President Obama delivered a statement to the press on the situation in Syria, one that has managed to grip the country in a feeling of anger, confusion, uncertainty, and dissent regarding America’s involvement in yet another war. A war many believe is none of our business.

The president, without consulting We, the People, decided that we would take “military action, that will not include ‘Boots on the ground.’ ”

Rather, he will consult congress.

There are many unanswered questions regarding the deteriorating situation in Syria. These questions cross both Party and Ideological lines. We don't really know ‘Who’ actually used chemical weapons. Yes, evidence does exist that it was the Syrian Army, under Assad’s orders, but there are those that point to the fact the army was carrying out a massive offensive, and such tactics do not make battlefield sense, and there exists strong evidence that it may well have been the rebels themselves that carried out this act, in order to put further blame on Assad, and receive international support.

The simple fact is we don’t know with certainty the ‘Who.’

Many Americans are also concerned about the ideology of the Syrian rebels, particularly in light of reports that they are Al Qaeda-backed.

But all that being said, President Obama had a truly golden opportunity before him. A chance to prove that he truly believes in this country. A chance to reiterate and give credence to American Exceptionalism.

And more than anything, he had the chance to ‘Let the Buck Stop’ with him, admitting past mistakes, and taking responsibility, with the figurative ‘hat in hand.’

He had a chance to command respect, rather than demand it, of other nations, and of We, the People.

But rather than doing that, he filled his statement with terms like “I have decided,” “I will,” “I think,” “I know,” and cast far too much blame on the English parliament for voting down Syrian intervention.

Yes, there was a passing mention of “America’s obligations” and other all-too-familiar rhetoric, but too much of the statement was his reasons behind his decision, and trying to guilt congressional leaders, who have been inundated with calls from their constituency urging non-intervention and military involvement.

The president needs the support of We, the People, and statements filled with “I, me, my,” or “Your fault, their fault,” are not going to do it. No one doubts that the Assad regime needs to be brought down. Action needs to be taken. And, because we are who we are, despite our understandable reluctance, we will take action.

It’s what we do. No matter what you or I think, no matter whether we oppose action or support it, America will not sit idle.

So, given that, because he needed the support of We, the People, here’s what the president should have said:

“My fellow Americans. During my tenure, I’ve made mistakes. I’ve done things that didn’t work out, I’ve ignored things that I should have taken action on, and I’ve said things that have now come back to bite me.

“But we have an ongoing situation in Syria, with the Assad regime, that demands action.

“Evidence has come forth that poison gas, chemical weapons, have been used against innocent civilians. And while there exists much evidence that the Assad regime is the perpetrator of this heinous act, that evidence is not 100% conclusive.

“That the weapons were used is a fact. Who used them is, and may well continue to be, conjecture, or at best, given Assad’s past actions, a well-informed guess.

“But we, the greatest nation on earth, cannot simply sit idle, as we have in the past, and allow this atrocity to go unpunished.

“We are an exceptional nation, and despite any of my words in the past, I believe this nation can, and always will, attempt to do the right thing. We’ve always been the nation others turn to. Sometimes, we pick the wrong allies. Sometimes we are criticized for our actions.

“But when nations are in need, they don’t turn to the UN. They don’t turn to our allies. They turn to us.

“They turn to the United States.

“The Assad regime, because of its past actions against its countrymen, must be brought down. Action is required. And while my plea for international support has fallen on deaf ears, for various reasons that I take responsibility for, I want to urge our allies to reconsider. The American people are tired of seeing us go it alone.

“But, because we are an exceptional nation of exceptional people, if America must be the nation that makes the first strike against a cruel, totalitarian regime that uses such horrendous weapons against its own people, then we will.

“We must bring down this criminal leadership, and insure that these weapons are destroyed in their entirety, to prevent them falling into the hands of others, that may well turn them on our allies, and even ourselves.

“As to the method of how America will do that, I am not qualified to make that decision, turning that over to our military leaders. No details will be released on how this will be done.

“I humbly come before you today to ask for your support. I ask you, the American people, to examine the reason. We can’t sit idle. We are the United States of America, and we are the greatest nation on earth.”

Well, anywho, that’s what he shoulda said.

As I mentioned, no one doubts that the acts against innocent civilians have to be answered for.  But we are tired of war. We are tired of being taxed. We are tired of not having jobs. We are tired of living paycheck to paycheck.

We are tired of a failed Foreign Policy that has ostracized many of our previously staunch allies and broken down discussion with potential ones.

We are tired of ‘Going It Alone.’

If we do choose to strike, it must be unequivocal in its purpose: To remove the Assad regime from power, prevent the further use of chemical weapons by any faction, and to show the world that we are the United States of America.

And we still have a pair!

Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum