A New Era in America

With the dawning of a newly invigorated America, full of hope and aspiring for change, Americans have been called to service. President Obama, in his inaugural address, asked all Americans to step up and make their voices heard. Every single one of us has the responsibility of ensuring our prosperity, safety, and that of our country. President Obama’s inspiring words have renewed the spirit within many Americans, but serve as a unique challenge for our citizens in this troubled economic time. I welcome this challenge and will do all I can to participate in the inner working of our government, because this is my duty as an American citizen. I believe that one of the most important things we, as citizens, can do is pay attention. With all of the change that has been promised and work that needs to be done, we need to keep an eye and an ear on what is happening around us. That being said:
Congratulations Mr. President on inheriting perhaps one of the most difficult, thankless jobs in the world. I look forward to your change and wish you the best of luck. Hold strong in your resolve and don’t give in to the “Washington politics, as usual” process.

Thank you for signing the order to close Guantanamo Bay prison within a year. This will hopefully give reassurance to the rest of the world that we are changing course and will no longer tolerate torture or inhumane prison conditions. We need to change the views of our foreign counterparts about the US and our policies and agendas. We need to uphold our morality and set and example of civility and respect throughout the world.

Repeal the nomination of Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary. How can the American people trust a man who “forgot” to pay his taxes for 4 years to oversee the IRS and our financial institutions? I am sure Timothy Geithner is a good man, he is certainly a smart man; however, I find it absurd that not only did Mr. Geithner not pay his Social Security Taxes for 4 years, but when he paid the back taxes he only paid for 2 of the 4 years. It was only after he was approached about become Treasury Secretary that he paid the remaining 2 years. Surely there are other qualified persons to head our Treasury Department. Confirming Mr. Geithner in this position will be a step back to the old-style Washington politics that you, Mr. President, spoke so pointedly about on the campaign trail.

In terms of the Economic Stimulus Plan being put forth by President Obama; I hope Congress takes a long hard look at the plan before approving it. The estimated cost is going to be $850 Billion. Cost, perhaps, is not the correct word; rather investment. This $850 Billion will invest in infrastructure and creating new jobs. However, listening to the Press Conference with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs this morning, it is my understanding that this stimulus plan will take up to 16 – 18 months before we begin to see relief for the consumer. That is too long. We, the consumers and citizens, have been struggling to stay afloat for the last 12 months; keep in mind that although the recession was only officially announced recently, we have been feeling the effects since December of 2007. In the stimulus plan there needs to be additional ideas of getting relief to the consumers quickly. Keep in mind, the middle class of America, those who need the help the most, are the people who keep this country running. For the nurses in Ohio, the plumbers in Nebraska, and the teachers all over the country, relief needs to come sooner.

We have put a lot of faith into President Obama, and look forward to the success, prominence, and prosperity he can bring. Understand that this cannot be fixed overnight, and that the President is not a magician. However, the economic issues facing our country need to be fixed soon, and unfortunately President Obama has been saddled with the burden of undoing many previous mistakes, and the responsibility now rests squarely on his shoulders.

Continued Prop 8 Bias

Over the past couple of months, following the Nov. 4, 2008 election, there have been numerous letters to the Editor of the Thousand Oaks Acorn, aimed at the people who are protesting the results of Proposition 8. I fundamentally believe that we are all entitled to our own opinions, but some of the letters were getting really out of hand. Last week, the Thousand Oaks Acorn published my letter; they did some editing to lower the word count, and changed the title, but they published it nonetheless. The letter can be found here:
http://www.toacorn.com/news/2009/0101/letters/013.html

or you may read the unedited version below. Let us all remain firm in our resolve to stand up for what is right and just. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year!

To: T.O. Acorn Editor
From: Jonathan Serret
Re: Letters to the Editor
Title: Equality for All

Dear Editor:
I have become increasingly disturbed by the letters submitted regarding the passage of Proposition 8. I would like to respond to the letters written in the Dec. 4 issue by Kelly Taggart and Lisa Caestaecker. The title of Ms. Caestecker’s letter is disturbing in itself: “If you don’t Like Prop. 8, go to Massachusetts.” We are all truly blessed to live in such a wonderful country where we can discuss and debate topics and take dissenting points of view; many people died to give us those rights. I would like to respond with my own version:
“If you don’t like living in a place where we can have conversations about differing opinions; move to another country.”
Marriage discrimination is not a new concept; we’ve been down this road before. Yes, it is true, that the majority of Californians have voted (twice) to ban same-sex marriage. However, just because the majority votes one way, doesn’t mean it is right. In the 1930’s, my great-grandparents had to go to New Mexico to get married. My great-grandfather was an immigrant from the Philippines and my great-grandmother was an “American;” it was the majority belief at that time that they shouldn’t get married. The majority was wrong. It also wasn’t that long ago that blacks and whites couldn’t marry each other. Again, this was the view of the majority, and again, they were wrong. Proposition 8 is no different; the majority of Californians are wrong again and over time they will realize it.
This concept of “Traditional Marriage” is completely outlandish. The only reason it is considered traditional, is because it’s the only version of marriage anyone has ever known. Another reason people are opposed is because of their religious ties. I have the utmost respect for people of differing faiths and firmly believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and values, but when those values and beliefs begin affecting others, there is an issue. There is often a blinding mentality of, “The Bible says,” luckily for us; we have a separation of church and state. What the Bible says should have absolutely no bearing on how government policy is created. Open your minds and your hearts and accept that everyone is equal.
If one of your children were gay and one day wants to get married; don’t you want to be there to watch them walk down the aisle, and see them be happy with the person they love? When two people want to spend the rest of their lives together, that means something; and whether the couples are male-female, female-female, or male-male, love is universal and should be celebrated equally amongst everyone.

Jonathan Serret
Agoura Hills