Light As Air

Trey Smith

Last night President Obama gave the annual State of the Union address. It's really nothing more than a spectacle of pomp and circumstance. Unsurprisingly, I didn't watch or listen to it. Instead of listening to words that are as light as air, my wife and I watched the video, Capitalism: A Love Story by filmmaker Michael Moore.

When I was younger, I used to watch this annual event. At times, I would get caught up in the fiery and flowery rhetoric. I believed that each president genuinely meant what he said. But, as the years have gone by, I've come to understand it's nothing more than a dog and pony show.

President after president will speak of justice, yet they each support policies and legislation that are rampantly unjust. Year after year the head guy will say that America believes in peace, democracy and the right of all to self-determination, while behind the scenes the US is doing everything possible to undermine each of those principles.

One of the grandest lies told with each State of the Union address is the one about the American Dream. Every modern president wants you to believe that he wants to raise all boats and to protect the middle class. Bull! They each have supported laws and regulations that seek to eviscerate said dream.

So, I had no interest whatsoever in listening to Barack Obama talk about hope, peace, justice and looking forward, not backward. It's nothing more than the same old same old. My guess is that it wasn't that dissimilar from last year's speech and it won't be that different from next year's version, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.

Actions speak louder than words!