I know that my esteemed frenemy had problems with the focus of Obama’s speech. The president should first steer us through the worst environmental crisis in the history of the United States, and then start talking about our energy policy.  But, for my part, I’m glad Obama laid out his vision for how he wants to move forward once this crisis is behind us.

Yes, I know he didn’t go into the specifics of what a reformed energy policy would look like, so some might dismiss this as just a bone to his more progressive supporters who have not been pleased that he hasn’t yet pushed for tough reform measures in light of the disaster.

We can't continue to be ostriches about our energy policy

But for right now, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he is serious about wanting to tackle our addiction to fossil fuels.  And make no mistake. We will have to address that issue sooner rather than later.  And it will be PAINFUL.  Weaning ourselves from our oil addiction will not be pretty.  For a while, we’ll be a nation of crack whores, strung out and begging for our next fix.  But eventually, we’ll clean ourselves up and start on the path to a more productive and safe life.

And here’s where, if I were a member of Gen Y, I would be screaming from the rooftops that all you older generations have got to pull it together and solve this problem before we take over as leaders.  Actually, if I were Gen Y, I would be royally pissed that once again, the over 40 crowd thinks they can do whatever they want and pass all the consequences onto us. But that’s just me.

Some people would rather bury their heads in the sand, oblivious to the dangers of our continued dependence on oil.  My hope, though, is that Gen Y will embrace the idea that a green energy policy is achievable now, and use their massive numbers to force the president as well as Congress to make real changes before our next environmental disaster.

Related posts:

1. A lesson in failed leadership

I guess I should give a caveat: I am not an Obama fan (surprise, surprise). There’s a laundry list of things I don’t like about him, and in fact the way he and his administration have been handling this crisis are going to be at the top of the list going forward. First of all, I would like to point out that last night was Day 58 of the crisis, and 8 weeks after it happened. It is absolutely ridiculous to me that Obama has waiting this long to speak to the country about what’s happening in the Gulf. For me, this was a “feel good” speech and a Public Relations move for the President himself. There were many, many cushy words but no concrete plans. Speaking in ambiguity, he almost (almost!) makes his speech hard to argue against. It’s hard to disagree with generalities. Because his administration has completely failed as a leader in this situation, the President reverted to doing what he does best: politicizing the situation 2/3 of the speech he gave wasn’t about cleanup or recovery, but about energy policy. (Don’t get me wrong – I’m a huge proponent of alternative/green/renewable energy sources, but last night was NOT the time for sermon.)

The most concrete thing he said last night was he was going to “force” BP to create some sort of an escrow fund to help compensate those who have suffered from the disaster. While I agree that BP should be held responsible for their actions, it sets a VERY bad precedent for a President to promise to the American people that he is going to force a private entity to do anything. Sometimes, I think Obama forgets he is a President, and therefore his domestic policy power is severely limited. Legally, he can’t force BP to do anything. Obviously, BP should (read: will because they seriously need a PR boost) comply and be responsible for the company’s actions. However Obama should not be taking credit for this at all, because it’s really out of his hands.

What the President should have been focused on last night was cleanup and recovery, and we heard hardly any of that. Obama’s insincere proselytizing isn’t going solve anything in the Gulf. It just left us with gushing oil well in the gulf that needs to be plugged, and another in Obama’s face that needs to be stopped up as well.

As always, I’ll appreciate your comments!

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

–Harold S. Geneen

Related posts:

1. The man with a plan
2. Can Obama lead the next generation?

Speaking before about 3,500 guests at the event organized by the Fellowship Foundation, also known as The Family, Obama pointed out that he and the attendees “may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it is right here in the United States or, as [Secretary of State] Hillary [Rodham Clinton] mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.”

The president and secretary of state are just two of several U.S. officials from both parties who are critical of the proposed Ugandan legislation that calls for the imprisonment and execution of homosexuals. Bills have been filed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives condemning the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009.

The Ugandan legislation, which should go to parliament late this month or early March, expands upon current statute that outlaws homosexuality by seeking life imprisonment for anyone convicted of having sex with someone of the same sex. The penalty is death when the person tests HIV positive. Additionally, the bill allows authorities to arrest anyone who “promotes” homosexuality or “aids, abets, counsels or procures” someone else to engage in homosexual acts. The bill threatens fines and prison time for anyone who is aware of homosexual activity and fails to report it within 24 hours.

The bill was introduced by first-term Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati, a member of that country’s branch of the Fellowship Foundation. Opponents of the proposal believe Bahati was persuaded to take action after a conference in Uganda last March, where three American evangelical Christians held a series of talks on how to turn gay people straight. The theme of the conference, sponsored by the Ugandan organization Family Life Network, was to expose the hidden and dark agenda of homosexuality.

The three Americans who spoke at the conference admit to preaching against homosexuality, but they are taken aback by the overzealous legislation. Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality,” published a letter on the organization’s Web site condemning Bahati’s bill.

The bill’s draconian measures have some countries threatening to cut millions in foreign aid to the poverty-stricken East African nation.  In turn, the Ugandan government is suggesting it might back down and change the death penalty provision to life in prison.

But that’s small consolation to the people most affected by the bill. In an e-mail statement, Rea Carey, executive director of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said, “It is imperative that the Obama administration and Congress push Uganda to withdraw this bill in its entirety. Simply removing the death penalty doesn’t somehow make this a humane bill. Whether it be the state-sponsored murder of LGBT Ugandans or their life imprisonment for simply being who they are is barbaric and unacceptable. Our political leaders must send the unified and unequivocal message that this measure, in full, needs to go.”

It’s not just human rights violations that have opponents of the bill up in arms. Many are concerned that this legislation, if passed, will make it more difficult to fight against HIV/AIDS. A letter signed by more than 90 U.S. Representatives to Ugandan President Museveni pointed out that should the bill pass, programs, such as the $300 million President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, could be called into question. “By seriously compromising efforts to reach LGBT communities in Uganda, passage of the Anti-Homosexual Act would impede the efficacy of PEPFAR’s programs and the achievement of its goals,” the letter stated.

Ironically, Uganda has been a model country for how to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS among its population. From the 1980s, when the virus first started to spread, to now, Uganda has gone from a country with one of the highest infection rates to one of the lowest.  In 1991, 15 percent of Ugandan adults were HIV positive. In 2001, that number dropped to 5 percent.

The government relied on a range of methods to manage the spread of the disease, including non-governmental organizations that educated Ugandans about HIV/AIDS and de-stigmatized getting tested for the disease. Many fear that if this legislation passes all Uganda’s success will come undone.

The pressure from foreign parties seems to have some effect. President Museveni has taken measures to distance himself from the bill, making it clear that Bahati was not following government policy in proposing the legislation. But in a country that believes rich Westerners are coming to Uganda to pay children to have gay sex, and showing support for gays can ostracize you from your community, it’s a difficult fight.

Related posts:

1. Iranian youth in the Green Movement

You did not win my vote, but you’ve won my respect. And even though you are not from my party, you are without a doubt the president of my generation; just as Reagan was for my parents’ generation, like Kennedy was for my grandparents, and Franklin D. Roosevelt for my great-grandparents. These great men were able to accomplish revolutionary feats and there’s a lot to be learned from their examples.

Keep Citizens Engaged:
Your campaign engaged and mobilized voters in a way never seen before. You’ve brought many people to the table for the first time; you’ve excited my generation, and we are awake and ready to participate in the political process. And this is truly impressive.

You’ve turned the spotlight on the presidency in a way not seen since John F. Kennedy’s time. Kennedy, together with his wife and young children, was able to revitalize the White House, bringing long missing energy and beauty.

This spotlight is not always welcome. But it will allow you to keep Americans informed and in tune with what you’re doing, which will prove crucial in trying to move your complex legislative agenda through Congress.

Also, like Kennedy, you have engaged and inspired today’s youth. Learn from Kennedy’s example and continue to make my generation feel important. FDR used Fireside Chats and Ron Paul used YouTube to reach across the generation gap. During the transition, you have used YouTube and your Web site to communicate with us on a fairly regular basis. I hope you will continue to talk to us once you assume the presidency.

Keeping us engaged will be a real challenge, but we are hopeful.

Keep America Hopeful:
It will be easy for Americans to turn increasingly fearful with the continued failure of the economy and multiple wars abroad. Unfortunately, we no longer trust the words of present leaders and desperately need a president who can inspire us — tell us to keep going and not be fearful.

FDR was able to rally the nation in the midst of an economic depression. And however ineffectual his New Deal was, he was not only able to get Americans behind these initiatives, but also able to get them to believe that these efforts were working. With the same leadership, he was also able to bravely lead a united nation into a foreign war.

Similarly Reagan, in the midst of the Cold War, was able to garner support for increasing the U.S.’s defenses against the Soviet Union, a move that led not only to a gradual improvement in U.S.-Soviet relations, but the eventual collapse of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of Communism.

Those leaders that have come before have shown that even in the most bleak of circumstances, Americans can remain hopeful and united. And, as evident from campaign 2008, your words are powerful. We listen to them and, even more importantly, we believe them. You have an opportunity to bring us together.

Your strong rhetoric, which I rolled my eyes at during the general election, will now prove useful.

Avoid Partisanship and Make Real Change:
Partisan bickering can be a distraction. If you can’t separate yourself from the partisan mess, you will lose support from a huge population of the electorate, including me. Real change won’t happen unless you reach across party lines like the great presidents before you, like Abraham Lincoln.

Avoid blaming your current challenges on past administrations. True, you have had little impact on what is happening in the nation and the world today. But voters have chosen you to change these things, not to cast blame if you can’t. America is your responsibility now. Own it.

Americans have asked for change and given you a mandate, although your 365 electoral votes pale in comparison to Reagan’s 525 in 1984. We have high expectations.

As Reagan remarked to the nation on the evening of the loss of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986, “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.” This generation is ready. It only remains to be seen if you’ll be the one to step up and lead us.

Related posts:

1. A lesson in failed leadership