Tag Archives: Obama

Reflecting on 2011

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As we prepare to close the ‘book’ on 2011, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of the top news stories / events of the year.  Whether your year was fantastic or not so great, in a couple of days, 2011 will become a mere memory.  While memories are often great to have, we must keep in mind that there is nothing we can do to change them.  As a result, I urge you to ‘brush your shoulders off’ and look forward.

Although we should all make a conscious effort to live in the present, reflection is important and there are some valuable lessons that can be learned from past experiences.  Included below are some of the year’s top stories that not only affected Americans, but also had a huge impact from a global perspective.

Use of Social Media to Change the World – The first time we all had to take notice that social media was more than a mere way to connect family members and long lost friends was during the 2008 presidential campaign.  More recently, protesters in Egypt utilized Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about organized protests.  In an article published by fastcompany.com, the author communicated that social media played a role in three main dynamics:

  • Organizing protests and gathering supporters
  • Shaping the narrative and ensuring that the government could not shift the global dialogue
  • Putting pressure on Washington to take a stance.  Because of the amount of information that was being released through social media channels, Washington lost its ability to maintain its distance from the controversy

Because social media has become a major and acceptable method of communicating, we must all ensure that we’re aware of the ‘dos and don’ts’.  For more information on the effective use of social media, please review my post, Social Media:  The Rules of Engagement.

Death of Osama bin Laden – On a Sunday night in early May, President Obama announced to the American people, “Justice has been done.”  Almost ten years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the mastermind behind them was killed by US Navy Seals and CIA paramilitary forces.  This was indeed a pivotal moment for our Country.  Although the death of bin Laden won’t bring back loved ones that lost their lives during the attacks, it does send a clear message that the American people won’t give up the fight for freedom and justice.  The war on terror reminds me of the story we all heard as children, The Tortoise and the Hare; slow and steady wins the race.  In our own lives, if we commit to a mission or goal and stay laser-focused, we will be victorious.

Death of Steve Jobs – In October, the world lost a brilliant mind.  For those that aren’t aware, Steve Jobs was Co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc.  What I found most intriguing about his story was that he wasn’t born with a ‘silver spoon in his mouth,’ and he succeeded in spite of the odds.  In my post, Dream It, Achieve It, I highlight his commencement speech at Stanford University, and how we can apply some of his life’s lessons to our own lives.

Decrease in National Unemployment Rate – Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the jobless rate fell by .4% between October and November to 8.6%, which is down from 9.8% in November 2010.  While the shift in the economy is happening a lot slower than we’d like, I believe that we all experienced a brief sigh of relief when hearing this news.  Although things are slowly improving for our Country, African Americans are still unemployed at higher rates than any other ethnicity group.  Historically speaking, this is the norm, but given the state of the economy and the housing market, this is a major drain on wealth creation in our community.  If you or someone you know is struggling to find work, my Aim to Win in this Economy series has some useful tips that may help you ‘get back in the ring’ and ready to fight again.

Many of the events of 2011 will definitely be written in tomorrow’s history books.  As we prepare to shift into a new year, my question to you is how will you leverage the experiences of the past year to live your best life in 2012?

 

For The People, By The People… What Are We Doing?

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There has been a lot of rhetoric by politicians on who’s to blame for the current state of our economy.  We recently had a mid-term election that many of us didn’t take time to vote in because we didn’t think it was important.  Many Americans are out of work and their spirits are low.  Although there are signs of economic recovery, it’s not happening fast enough for most of us.  As I began to ponder the direction of this posting, I decided to provide a quick review of our government structure and the role of “we the people”.  That being said, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the 5th grade.

Our government is made up of three branches.  A quick overview of each branch is included below:

  1. Legislative Branch.  The Congress.  The Congress is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate.  The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills, which are then submitted to the president for final approval.  Bills are laws or policies that help to govern our Country.  Because of the recent tax bill, I want to place emphasis on a specific job that the House of Representatives has.  The House is the only governmental body that can start laws that make people pay taxes.  A key job to highlight for the Senate is that they have the final say on anyone that the President recommends for jobs (i.e., Cabinet offices, Supreme Court Justices, and Ambassadors).
  2.  Judicial.  The judicial branch of the government is made up of the court system, with the highest court being the Supreme Court.  As a refresher, the courts interpret the meanings of laws, how they’re applied, and whether they align with the rules of the Constitution.
  3. Executive.  The executive branch of government makes sure that the laws of our Country are obeyed.  The President is the head of the executive branch.  This branch is comprised of :
    • President – leads the country, commands the military
    • Vice President – President of the Senate and steps in as President of the country if the President can no longer do the job
    • Departments & Independent Agencies – advises the President, and helps to carry out policy and special services

So, what does this mean to “the people”?  All branches of government are important.  While the role of the President is very important, and the Office does indeed influence policy that the legislative branch passes, the President does not run the country alone.    Historically, we’ve placed significant emphasis on the presidential election, while minimal attention is given to mid-term elections that have a significant impact on the make-up of the legislative branch of our government.  Remember that this is the branch of government that is responsible for creating policy that impacts our economy (i.e., stimulus bill, tax bill, etc.).

I never thought that I’d say this, but we blamed President Bush for the state of affairs during his presidency without holding Congress accountable for their actions.   We are now doing the same thing to President Obama.  Make no mistake, I believe that leaders should be held accountable for their decisions, but this holds true for all leaders.  Congress should not be able to blame the President for everything that’s wrong in our country.  I cringe when I hear Bush tax cuts and Obama care. 

As a result of the recent mid-term election, Republicans took control of the House of Representatives.  I am personally in favor of a balanced approach as long as it does not create a stalemate.  I am not a proponent of one party controlling the three branches of government.  I do not believe that it is representative of “the people” that make our country great.  It does not celebrate our differences.  Although I am somewhat concerned about how we will pay for all of the concessions that are being given to try and boost the economy, I do believe that the recent tax bill was necessary and to some degree balanced.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your trip down memory lane, and the refresher on our governmental structure.  Now, what can you do?  Remember to stay abreast of the decisions that your elected officials are making and hold them accountable during election time.  Do you know who your elected officials are?  If not, that’s your first assignment.  This information can be found by visiting www.votesmart.org.  In 2011, there will be a lot of noise in the media because we are approaching a presidential election year.  You will need to be able to separate facts from fiction.  We have a lot to do before the 2012 election.  Roll up your sleeves and become a part of the solution.