Great head of state can be paralyzed by obstructionism

Pam Price, Henderson

Sunday, June 13, 2010 | 2:02 a.m.

A recent Pat Oliphant political cartoon was thought-provoking. It showed a caricature of a solitary President Barack Obama.

His broken body was a jumble of hardware parts. One hand held his head, so he could read a manual entitled, “Obama: Second Model, Re-assembly Instructions.”

The president looked forlorn and stymied. That rang true when I thought of the daily Republican obstructionism he faces and when I reflected on the daily vitriol I witness from certain extremist, right-wing commentaries found in newspapers, television programs and radio shows, as well as my incoming personal e-mails.

I had once pictured Barack Obama as a virtual bridge, stretching across the congressional aisles. I still think he would prefer to be a band conductor, but that does not work when many of the members refuse to play their parts.

President Obama’s antagonists would gloat about Oliphant’s cartoon, showing the president and/or his administration as seemingly being broken beyond repair. However, the president is the head of our country.

I viewed his battered condition as a symbol of America. The innumerable broken pieces belong to the whole American organism — our government, economy, schools, corporations, etc. Each American is an integral part.

Repairs will come when each of us views himself or herself as an American first (not a political party parrot), separates the misinformation from the facts, and assists with the reassembly of the dynamic American way of life.