Kudos to Kutcher

I am not usually one who follows the lives Hollywood celebrities or pay attention to what they have to say about politics. Most of the time it seems obnoxious to me to hear their rants because they're usually one-sided and sound condescending to those "non-famous" people who don't agree with their opinions. Last night I was listening to the radio and Billy Bush brought up Ashton Kutcher's latest blog on his MySpace. Commenting on his experience at the inauguration, Kutcher mentioned this:

"I was less impressed by the boo's as the republican representative took the stage. I found it to be offensive and separating. I was also appalled by the people who didn't stand when former President, then President G W Bush appeared. I urged the people around me to rise. Regardless of whether or not you agree with, or like the man, he at that time was still our president and he gave 8 years of his life to serve you. The cook might not be making what you like but be grateful for the fact that he's serving you at all. How many people can say that they've dedicated 8 years of their life to the greater good of man kind, made the toughest decisions known to man... Part of being an American is standing by the process and respecting our commander. Don't be an Obama patriot, be a patriot. Let bipartisanship die and represent this country united!"

The country has just witnessed the transition of power from one President to another. Although there were some things I did not agree with about Bush, I believe he had worked extremely hard these past 8 years and tried to keep the best interest of the country in mind. He has had to handle crises, changes, and criticism from millions of people worldwide. It is no doubt the toughest job in the world.
While I was on my mission in Argentina, the Iraq war broke out and brought with it much criticism towards George Bush and Americans. The anti-war sentiment was evident (especially at the medical school) and strong enough that I had to avoid part of my assigned area that contained the US embassy. As a missionary, I did not have access to newspapers, radio, or television, so I did not have much info on what was happening or swayed any direction by commentary from the political pundits. I did, however, have faith. When asked by people on the street how I felt about Bush, my response was simple and expressed in four words: "I pray for him."

And that is how I feel about our next president. There are things that I do not agree with about issues that he has proposed, but I do want him to succeed as a president. If he succeeds, then our country succeeds. I do want to support him and the rest of the leaders of this country. I don't think our country can progress with this sharp divide of bipartisanship that has crippled it in recent years. I do hope that Obama will do what is best for this country and serve it well. And I will strive to respect him for it.