I normally shy away from politics, but the recent situation in Washington has caused me great anxiety, and more, embarrassment. With all the backbiting and infighting between Democrats and Republicans (all branches) more befitting a tacky reality show than a governing body, our rulers appear as simply rival gangs engaged in a turf war, and the results could be devastating. The most recent and, I think, most alarming, example is the upcoming presidential speech on employment. We all know that we are in a dire situation, and the President has announced he will present a major plan to get us out of this fix. However, his speech was scheduled for the same day the Republicans were holding an election debate. They whined, and THE PRESIDENT BACKED DOWN, changing the date of his speech. By doing that, he appeared weak, giving the impression that their debate was more important than his speech, and so lost much of his presidential power. Wrong move. Mr. President, we need a leader—a Michael Douglas to stand at the presidential podium and declare with steely gaze, “I AM the President.” Conciliation is no longer effective. We have become a fragmented nation of perplexed sheep. Please, Sir, take command and lead us.

A new president. A new era. Like all Americans, I am hopeful that this change in regime will mean better times for us all--if nothing else, the past eight years have shown us the importance of intelligence--and the danger in its absence. Our leaders must be well-educated, and not just to go to a prestigious school. We all know that there are always ways for unqualified people to sneak into those bastions of education (look at all the named wings of every venerable institution). Honest intelligence should always win out, and unfortunately, that's not always the case.

But honest intelligence is nothing without tenacity, sacrifice, and hard work. These are the tests of character, and the American character has been sorely lacking. Let us pray that change will really happen, that with honesty and decency we can rebuild all that we have lost.

We've learned a lot about ourselves these past eight years, and it's been humbling. We've been arrogant, proud, truly "Ugly Americans." Maybe now we can look at ourselves in a new light, rejoin the world and work together to create a global nation. It's a lot to ask, but knowing how truly terrible we can be might inspire us to be better.

It's a start, and we've nowhere to go but up.