I have been a contributor to this blog for the past 3 months and most of it has been spent abroad in Dublin, Ireland. Witnessing the past three months of the Obama Administration has still reaffirmed my confidence that those working around the President and the President himself have a head on their shoulders and have a clear vision for the country in various issues ranging from the economy to health care to civil rights. I pay particular attention to the following five issues that are of significant importance to me. Here is my gradebook:

1) LGBT Rights / Civil Rights This issue is critically important to me as one of the bedrocks of American society. As an openly gay man, but more importantly as an American, the civil rights of all our people is a critical issue that encompasses a broad scope of the political sphere from Marriage Equality to the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. I have honestly been frustrated with the President’s slow pace on this issue. He voiced his support for both the Hate Crimes Bill and the Employment Non Discrimination Acts, both currently moving through the Houses of Congress. He forcefully voiced his support for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. Most of the progress necessary needs to happen legislatively so he can only do a certain amount in moving these bills forward. Much will depend on the courage and political will of the Democrats and equality-minded Republicans in Congress. However, the President has been very weak in relation to overturning the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. I applaud him for hosting the reception honoring the LGBT Pride Month at the White House. Personally, I believe he is committed to the cause of equality. He just wants to do things at a slow and smart pace so as not to piss anyone off and possibly derail efforts for a long time. For that, I give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a B

2) Foreign Policy So far I have been very impressed with not only how world leaders have reacted to his intelligence, political savvy and tendency for people to generally like him. He has traveled across the world in his first half year and mended many fences that were previously broken under the Bush Administration. He understands foreign policy and general international affairs. He, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, make me proud to be American and have them represent us abroad. I give him an A.

3) Health Care The health care fiasco has not been pretty. I understand, though, that he vehemently supports a public health care option that ensures all Americans have some sort of coverage. I firmly believe he is committed to this cause. His problem lies in the Congress especially with fiscally conservative Democrats who do not want to appear to be spending funds on programs that are deemed frivolous. The fact that he was so vocal in calling Senators and Congressman to support this legislation along with his tendency to invite different players to meet with him in the White House shows that he faces obstacles largely out of his control. I give him a B+.

4) Education Policy There has not been much talk about education in the first six months of the Administration. I was very impressed with the fact that he emphasized service as a requirement for all young people, which I personally agree with. He also unveiled his community college plan which aims to revitalize America’s community colleges. During his first State of the Union Address, he emphasized the importance of education being a priority for young people in America. He stated how he plans to revamp education and make it something that people feel compelled to do because it is part of giving back to the country. We have not seen the results of this new Obama Education policy so I can’t give much of a grade now, but so far I give him a B+.

5) Immigration Policy In relation to civil rights, immigration is a critical issue that covers many facets of American life from the economy to national security. There has not been much action on the immigration front in the first 6 months of Obama’s Presidency. he has emphasized the need to revitalize our economy through job training, twenty-first century technology, and a new look on how we can rebuild our country to fit the needs of its growing and diverse population. He understands that immigrants contribute a significant amount to American society and I believe he will stand firm on this issue. His handling of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation process has shown that he deeply values America’s diversity and wants it to be fully utilized through his many “firsts” in appointments ranging from the Justice Department to the Surgeon General. So far I give the President an A-.

The past 3 months have been inspiring. I have seen the posts from my fellow bloggers and have reaffirmed my belief that Generation O is truly a unique and completely different generation than anything ever witnessed in America. I firmly believe that within the next 10 to 15 years and with the helping hand of the Obama Administration, we will take this country into the twenty-first century with full speed. I never doubted my generation and this project has surely reaffirmed my confidence in young people’s desire for true progress on many fronts especially related to civil rights of all people.

In terms of what is going on in my life right now, I am still in Dublin, Ireland. I have finished my internship with the Parliament of Ireland and now I am just living in the city centre, socializing with friends, and doing some traveling on the side. I plan to return to the Washington DC area and the University of Virginia for my last year as an undergraduate on August 22. I plan to obtain my undergraduate degree in Politics and Religion in May 2010. Currently, I am in the process of waiting for a placement in the Peace Corps specifically looking at Eastern Europe. I am also looking into graduate schools in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. We will see what happens. It was a pleasure working on this project and I hope that something like this continues. I applaud Newsweek for initiating this project and caring about the voices of young people in today’s America. Cheers!

Yours progressively,

-Eugene

The ongoing debate on health care in America has really shed light on the true nature of American rugged individualism, hard work, and personal freedom post-World War II. Basically, you are on your own buddy. Where is the spirit of community and collective action for the betterment of the nation and the individual to the likes of the FDR or JFK periods in American history?

Today we witness the same health care debate as we did in the early 1990s during the time when President Bill Clinton tried unsuccessfully to enact health care reform to insure all those uninsured and lower costs. The infamous health care debates of those days nearly sabotaged Clinton’s first term as President. In those days, however, universal health care was not a popular idea with a majority of the country. Today, it is an entirely different story. Universal health care is not a fringe, left wing, socialist idea, as some peg it to be within the ranks of the Republican Party. It is a proposal that is important to many in this country and is highly popular with a strong majority of the population.

Not only should we look at this issue politically, but more importantly the human condition behind these policy debates must not be sidelined. It is estimated that around 46 million Americans lack health insurance, as we have heard that number over and over again during the 2008 campaign season. I would expect the number to be even higher today with the ailing economy. Many people cannot afford the high cost of health insurance so they live day by day uninsured hoping and praying that they do not get sick enough to necessitate going to the hospital. If only that cold just goes away in the next few days on its own, right?

Despite these facts, the Republicans in Congress still remain defiant in their opposition to any suggestion of health care reform. They have no desire to end their love affair with the private insurance companies who run their businesses by ripping people off and making sure that everything possible is done to not insure someone when insurance is needed (ie. Pre-existing conditions and the lot) I just can’t wrap my head around it. Generation O gets it.

People need health insurance. A nation that is healthy is stronger; a nation that is unhealthy is weak not only physically, but intellectually and politically. Just take Russia for example. Their population is rapidly declining as their health system is in shambles. Alcoholism, drugs, and smoking have led Russian men to have a life expectancy of just 63 years. Their current population is just about 140 million, but at this rate of decline, it is estimated to go below 100 million in the next 20 years. Politically, Russia is not what it used to be and its significance in the global geopolitical sphere is declining. Quite frankly, so is America’s, ever so slowly. American stature is not what it used to be. We need our people to be healthy and have access to good, quality health insurance. No wonder we have such a staggering obesity rate.

Yet health insurance is not seen as a human right in American culture. In comparison, Europeans provide universal health care across the board and see health as pivotal to the well-being of the nation. People do not raise their pitchforks due to the higher taxes required to pay for such health care universality, instead, willingly viewing it as a contribution to society. Private health insurance would remain albeit with lower costs. But there is no reason to deny a public health care option for those who have no insurance. Those voting in Congress all have nice retirement and health insurance packages. They are sent to the hospital every time they cut a finger, fracture a pelvis, have mild flu-like symptoms, or have a migraine. They get extra special care and yet they get to vote on our health. It is inhumane to deny a substantial portion of the American population health insurance. It is cruel, unjust and un-American. I applaud President Obama for working hard to persuade the cronies in Congress to vote for health care reform.

-Eugene Resnick

Dear Mr Ahern, My name is Helen Doody, you have already received and failed to reply to a letter that my own son Declan sent to you a week or so ago. So like any good and decent parent I am now trying to get you to listen to and protect my child – it is the very least that any mother would do for her own children. I read Declan’s email and everything he said to you in the e-mail was true. He had a very tough time growing up in Abbeyfeale, I can still picture him crying in the mornings before he went to school because he was afraid of the people who were going to be waiting for him – bullies who would beat the living daylight out of him, people who crushed the very spirit within him. I tried numerous times to help him, I spoke to teachers, to the parents but the problem got a quick-fix but a weeks later it just continued on. Declan was always a very shy and quiet boy but as the bullying continued he became more and more invisible. His Dad and I spent nights talking about him, wondering would he go to school in the morning, would he come home that evening with a ripped jumper or would his school copies be destroyed, we tried so hard to get him the help he needed but as the bullying continued, he started to shut his family out. All of this began to change however the day Declan came out to me. I am not going to pretend that I handled it like a saint, it is a shock to the system, you don’t think about your child being gay, you just assume they are straight and when Declan told me I didn’t know what to do. I thought I had done something wrong, I thought it was my fault, I really thought that this was it for my son, when people started to find out that he was gay his entire world would turn into a living hell but it didn’t. Over the coming weeks he began to change, I finally started to see him smile again and there was something different about his heart too. I saw my son reach a very dark and lonely place at the age of 16 but even at his lowest my son, had the courage and strength to come out and say he was gay. He went to college with a new look on life, he finally seemed to be enjoying himself and it was only then I realised that there was nothing wrong with Declan. If my son was happy, if he was no longer worried about what other people thought about him then I knew that there was nothing wrong with being gay. For many years he had kept a secret from me and his family because he thought we would reject him, like so many people had done to him before and now at the age of 23 he has graduated with a degree, a higher diploma and a masters. He has become the fine young man that his father and I are so very proud to be able to call our son. When I heard on the news that gay people would now finally be able to register the relationships like any married couple I finally thought things had changed and I suppose many other people around the country like me thought the same. However I have now realised that what you plan on doing is nothing short of telling the gay community that they are still not equal. You will not tell my sons that they are not equal to their brothers, friends and the rest of society. Your Civil Partnership Bill is not good enough for my family, and hundreds, thousands of other families in this country. I might not be the smartest person in this country but even I can tell you that this bill is all but worthless and will only further the opinion that gay people are not the same as everyone else. I have been there for all my sons when they have had their hearts broken by girlfriends and boyfriends. I helped them pick out gifts on Valentines day and shopped around for a Tux for the Debs. I have met boyfriends and girlfriends, I have liked some and been frosty to others. I have thought about each and every single of them getting married to someone that they love and who will love them back as much as I do. I have six sons Mr Ahern, six very beautiful boys who became six very beautiful and upstanding young men! Two of my boys are gay. Four are straight. Two are firemen. Two love playing video games. One loves to cook. Three of them love cars. Five of them have had their tonsils out. All of them are my sons. You have the power to change this country so do the right thing and change this country for the better, wake up and realise that there is still time to clean up this mess and give gay couples the same rights as straight couples. I am asking on behalf of my gay children, their gay friends, my gay friends, my family, I am asking you as a member of this country, as a taxpayer but most of all I am asking you as a mother, to help my children and revise this Bill so everyone in this country can be equal. Yours truly, Helen Doody

This upcoming Independence Day, July 4, 2009, will be the first of the Obama Presidency. Let us not forget the magnitude of having him in the Office of President of the United States. America will never be the same again. So when you go out and dine or host a barbecue or attend someone else’s this Saturday, don’t forget what you are celebrating and how you are celebrating an America of the 21st Century. We are celebrating an America that embraces (or ideally should) all people, and is a beacon for freedom, democracy, hope, and opportunity. This will be as true as ever this Independence Day. I will be celebrating with Americans and the Irish in Central Dublin. The American Embassy has an event planned but it is for VIPs only. Apparently, I am not special enough. So I will be at a country club celebrating by stuffing my face with greasy American burgers and highly carbonated soda.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Eugene Resnick

I have a distaste for politicians who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Politicians are leaders and representatives for the community. Before I continue, I want to make one thing clear. I have absolutely no problem with the actual actions of Governor Sanford. People have affairs, mistresses, lovers, whatever all the time. Personally, I feel it is a fact of nature. It is very difficult for humans to stay monogamous or put in other words, to be happy and satisfied in every way with one person for the remainder of one’s life. I feel we are deeply sexual creatures yearning for the attention of others. Mark Sanford, a human just like the rest of us, was probably needing some attention and intimacy with someone else other than his wife. Fine. I’m OK with that. In Europe, politicians do that all the time and nobody cares. I am not here to tell people how to live their lives especially not in the bedroom which we’ve had plenty of surveillance on already. My problem with this entire situation is the deep-seeded hypocrisy that lies within this debacle. Governor Sanford has been one of the most outspoken, conservative Republicans out there. He has been virulently anti-gay rights and pro-“family values” (whatever that means). He has created this “holier than thou” image of himself, and it is not just him. This is a prevalent problem within the Republican Party. I ask this question: Why can’t we all just be honest with ourselves and each other and stop pretending? Again, I have no problem with him sleeping with another woman, cheating on his wife, whatever. That’s his and his family’s problem. That has nothing to do with the Governorship. You wouldn’t fire an employee for cheating on his or her spouse would you? Probably not, because it is none of your business as long as he or she does the job they were hired to do. So why fire Governor Sanford? Because he is a hypocrite. Hypocrites don’t deserve to be in public office. We need to step up criticism of these politicians who espouse piety, virtue, and perfection all the while they pretty much do the same things the rest of us are doing. Let’s be honest with ourselves and each other. The Republicans need to stop their morality campaign, telling the rest of us how we should act in the bedroom or live our lives. They need to wake up and realize that we are all human beings and we all have our needs. Get rid of the virulent gay-bashing and the “preserve the sanctity of marriage” campaign. If you can’t keep your first, second or third marriage intact, why should the rest of us have a higher standard?

Eugene Resnick

In Dublin this past weekend, the Irish (myself included) celebrated LGBT Pride by marching through the streets of central Dublin in an estimated crowd of over 12,000. Just the day before the parade, on Friday, the government of Ireland published a Civil Partnership bill which would give a certain amount of marriage-like rights to same-sex couples but would not go far enough to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. There has been division over this bill within the LGBT community in Ireland. Some say this bill is a necessary and substantial stepping stone for what will one day inevitably lead to marriage equality in Ireland. Others say this bill creates an apartheid system which places LGBT individuals under a separate system of laws and status thereby effectively making them unequal and segregated from the rest of society. To put this into context from an American perspective, this is essentially the Civil Unions vs. Marriage Equality debate going on right now throughout the United States.

As many of our politicians in the US have begun to make public their support for marriage equality, the legitimacy of a lesser, separate, and unequal status for gays and lesbians loses weight. As 6 states now have legalized marriage equality and more are certainly set to do so relatively soon, there is a mounting movement to scrap the entire first civil unions, then marriage later approach and enact full and immediate equality.

Pride celebrations around the world are meant to celebrate the strength, resilience, beauty and diversity of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. It is supposed to be a way for LGBT people to celebrate their lives and loved ones, showcasing that there is no need to be ashamed or in the closet. Let us not forget that Pride celebrations are banned and unheard of in many parts of the world. It is illegal to be gay in many countries with punishments ranging from minor penalties to long term jail sentences and in several countries, death. We should be mindful of this fact and realize just how lucky we are to live in societies where we understand the dignity of each and every human being.

So in the ensuing debate on marriage equality in Ireland and the United States, let’s put things into context and not forget those in our community who are suffering in countries where their voices are silenced. That does not mean that we should not fight for full legal and social equality in our shores, but it just means that the fight for equality is not only about our own personal well-being, but it is for the sake of all of humanity.

Happy Pride wherever you are around the world!

-Eugene

As an outside observer, the farce that is the Iranian election and subsequent victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should come as no surprise to those of us who are skeptical about the possibility of peace and democracy in the Muslim world. Yet the substantial strength of reformist candidate Mirhossein Mousavi coupled with an invigorated youth vote indicates that Iran is at the cusp of another revolution in the making. Considering the fact that a large majority of university students in Iran are women, the population is ripe for change and this could potentially spill over to other countries in the region. The events of the past few days in Iran are an indication that the Islamic Republic is undergoing a transformation not seen since the days of the 1979 Revolution. With this election, it is time for the United States to resume relations with Iran and understand that the government led by Ahmadinejad and his conservative religious clerics are not representative of the majority of Iranian people.

In the American mindset, Iran is part of the axis of evil, a place where terrorists are bred, radical Islam flourishes, and nuclear weapons produced. Yet many ignore the fact that Iranians are some of the most successful and educated of the region. Culturally and religiously, Iranians, like the Turks, are more moderate than the Arab world (Iranians are Persians, not Arabs). As the election neared, observers predicted Mousavi would win because of the combination of factors creating a relatively young, educated, and reform-minded electorate that wanted a turn away from the hardline anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric of Ahmedinejad.

Yet this election’s result, which was quickly and conveniently endorsed by the Islamic Guardian Counsel, apparently was a near-landslide win for Mr. Ahmedinejad. I will believe it when I see it. Otherwise, this election was just stolen from the hands of the people. If I were him, I would be a bit more cunning about covering everything up, but apparently, the hardliners have no sense. They have decided to completely tarnish their image not only abroad but more importantly within Iran. The brutal violence against men and women, young and old on the streets of Tehran combined with the suppression of internet and phone communication cannot make it anymore obvious that the hardliners and supporters of Ahmadinejad are covering things up and desperately trying to suppress any voice of opposition. Such violence and suppression of free expression is unacceptable and must not be tolerated by the international community.

Despite the strong possibility that Mousavi is denied a recount and revote, this is just the beginning. This political charade has inflamed the fire of change in Iran. I urge President Obama to publicly address this issue and work with the United Nations and our allies to put pressure on the Iranian Election Agency to either have a full recount or re-vote. This situation has the potential to get very nasty in the days ahead.

-Eugene

I have been away for a bit of time on vacation in Greece. I am now stationed in Dublin, Ireland for a summer internship with the Dail (Parliament) of Ireland. My boss is the Deputy Chief Whip Paul Kehoe, second in command of Fine Gael, one of the two main political parties here. Incidentally, in the elections of this past weekend, Fine Gael won the largest percentage of votes beating the other main party, Fianna Fail (The Republican Party, as they call themselves). Fianna Fail has been the top vote getter in elections since the 1920s! Yes, this is a transformational year in Irish politics. The American recession has impacted the global economy, including highly developed Western countries such as Ireland. The governing coalition of Fianna Fail and the Green Party suffered a terrible defeat in last weekend’s election, and it is an indication of the people’s frustrations with the sagging economy and inaction from the government to turn it around.

There are two main events in the political realm right now in Ireland. One is the aftermath of the past election which saw the governing coalition lose a large amount of support and suffer defeat to Fine Gael and the Labour Party. Keep in mind that this was not a national election, rather a local and European Parliament election. This was a litmus test for the current government and they decisively failed. So now the largest vote getter, Fine Gael, the Party that I am working for, is calling for a motion of no confidence in the government. It will probably fail but it will prompt early national elections expected by the end of the year.

Over the past decade, Ireland has enjoyed massive economic growth, a growing population, and one of the highest (if not the highest) standard of living/quality of life in all of the world. But the American recession has trickled its way across the Atlantic Ocean and has been a hot topic for debate in Parliaments across Europe. The European Right has unfortunately retained its majority in the European Parliament, but one of the main stories is the growth and popularity of extreme right wing parties. This is definitely something to watch because it has an impact on American-European relations, American-Middle East foreign policy, and immigration policy.

How does this have any relevance to the US? Because America is always a topic of conversation here, especially in reference to the economy. President Obama is definitely loved here, as he is all across Europe. His recent speech in Cairo demonstrated how he truly wants to mend fences and forge a new path toward peace and security. This week’s Lebanese elections surely proves to be a positive note toward reaching that goal for it can be hailed as a victory in a sense because the pro-Western/moderate coalition won against the more hardliner Hezbollah. I would say the most striking difference between past American presidencies and the Obama Administration in terms of Middle East policy is Obama’s tough approach to Israel. Personally, the Israel-Palestinian conflict is close to my heart, as half of my family resides in various parts of Israel (I have been there twice as recently as January 2007). I am a supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself, but I am moreso proud of it because it is a beacon of democracy and human rights that are sorely lacking in other parts of the region. Since the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, American presidents have been staunchly pro-Israel. Not to say that Obama is not pro-Israel—he surely is, along with being vehemently anti-Hamas, pro-peace and anti-violence. Further, Obama’s recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu indicates the sort of direction he wants to take with Israel: a firm one. His declaration that Israel’s insistence on settlement expansion is counterproductive to peace efforts is the right thing to do. No American president has ever been this firm towards Israel.

Although I am a strong supporter of Israel, I am also pro-peace meaning a two state solution. I take the more moderate-liberal approach to the likes of the center-left Israel lobbying group, J Street, effectively an alternative to the center-right American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Obama’s approach to Israel is smart because he understands that decades of blind approval of Israel’s actions is the stake in the heart of peace. I shall continue to monitor how this unfolds in the coming months.

A quick note on Sonia Sotomayor: I like her. I like her openness about how being a Latina woman is obviously an asset and is critical in adding a different perspective to that of white, middle aged, men. I find it appalling how the Republican Party jumped on her comments and accused her of being a reverse sexist and racist. Is it not sexist to have 7 out of 9 white men comprise the Supreme Court when 51% of America is women? Is it not racist to have no Latinos or Asians on the Supreme Court when they comprise a combined one fifth of the American population? Is it right for men to legislate on policy and law concerning women’s bodies? I think not. It is not racist or sexist to consider the gender and race of a candidate because those characteristics come with a certain set of experiences which translate into legal interpretative differences. We have considered the race and gender of candidates since the dawn of America, when blacks and women were subjugated, so let’s stop pretending it is not an issue.

This was all over the place. I am back in full force.

-Eugene