All of this Silence is Deafening...

With much fanfare, President Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009...He promised hope and change. He also promised to have a much more "transparent" administration . Well, with an administration that has been, largely, anything but transparent, President Obama hasn't bothered to have much at all to do with any foreign affairs issues. From American journalist Roxana Saberi to the current situation with the Presidential elections in Iran, the President has remained largely silent. Don't get me wrong. I understand that the President shouldn't have to deal, personally, with every issue of note that arises in this nation, but sometimes just a little word of encouragement or hint that he's standing up for what is right would be nice to hear. Presidents are supposed to have opinions. That's what they are there for...Case in point, American journalist Roxana Saberi was accused of espionage by the Iranian government and sentenced to eight years in prison by an Iranian court. The President had little to say about the incident. He did say the he was "gravely concerned" for her well-being. What I, and the rest of the nation, wanted to hear was that he knew the charges weren't valid, and that our thoughts and prayers were with her, and that HE would be working vigorously to do all he could to ensure her release. Could there possibly be anything wrong with these words?..Is it wrong to want a President who will stand up for America and her citizens? Surely not! Later, two more female reporters, Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, and Euna Lee, a Korean-American, were captured by the North Korean government and charged with spying. They were subsequently sentenced to twelve years in a North Korean labor camp. Obama, largely, left the comments to Secretary of State Clinton. Again, I wanted to hear Obama say that the charges were baseless and that they needed to release the journalists or face the consequences. Stand up for us Mr. President. I certainly don't believe that is asking too much.

Fast forward to the events of the last few days, regarding the Presidential elections in Iran, and the response is again very similar. Here is my argument. I understand why some would agree with the Obama administration on their stance, or lack thereof, concerning the Iranian election. Obama and his administration think that by encouraging the citizens of Iran to demand fair and free elections, they will be viewed as "meddling" in Iranian affairs. I, nor most Americans, care what the Iranian government thinks. My point is that we SHOULD be standing up for freedom. I am NOT a supporter of Islamic fundamentalism. I am NOT a supporter of Iran's apparent ambition to develop nuclear weapons. I have absolutely no reason to believe that any other leader the people could elect would be any less radical than Amahdenijad. What I am is a supporter of is the Iranian citizens' right to choose who that leader is. If the leader is radical, we'll deal with that...If Iran continues nuclear proliferation, we'll deal with that as well. That being said, the issue that most people want addressed is freedom. The citizens should have the right to choose. That, and that alone, is what most want President Obama to champion. This is what we are NOT hearing. Remaining silent isn't supporting freedom or democracy...How would standing up for free elections in Iran cause problems for the U.S. or Obama's administration? The Iranian government already claims that we interfere with them. My response would be "So What?"...I don't care if Iran doesn't like what we are doing. We live in freedom, although it is declining, and we will support any who agree with us...That is what you should be saying Mr. President.

President Obama, what we want, plain and simple, is leadership. Silence isn't dealing with problems or issues. It is ignoring the public. Stand up for what is right Mr. President. Stand up for freedom. In fact, just stand up for anything. Make an informed decision without consulting your "focus groups" or polls. Get rid of your teleprompter and speak from your heart. We want to know where you stand. The nation needs to hear you say that you stand for freedom, no matter who the people are and no matter what nation they are from. Frankly, Mr. President, your administration, despite your promises, has been the LEAST transparent administration I have known in my lifetime.