O PINIONS 5
Ka Leo O Hawai‘i EDITOR DAVIN AOYAGI ASSOCIATE TAYLOR GARDNER OPINIONS @ KALEO.ORG
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Moderate in the extreme
M ICHELLE BARON Staff Writer
T H E
V O I C E
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President Obama appears to be trying to please everyone but, in the end, is he succeeding in pleasing anyone? on June 23 in Manhattan, proclaiming, “I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country,” then seemed apologetic when members of the crowd began yelling, “marriage, marriage!”
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“Traditionally,” Obama said, “marriage has been decided by the states. New York is doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do.” He took pains to emphasize that he understands more pressure from his gay supporters
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Since 2005, I have spent so much time on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus. However, in all these years, some issues haven’t been improved, such as instructor issues. Many students have the experience of getting an irresponsible professor. Perhaps the instructor is late for every class, keeps forgetting to post the right solution, or shows YouTube videos that are not even related to the class topic. Students spend money here to learn, not to chat in class. If students want to do that, they could just stay home, instead of spending money on getting an education. Students wonder if the school can really give them the education they need because of these instructors. However, they either don’t know who to talk to or that person is unavailable. I really hope this issue can be talked about across campus. Shane Hung
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EDITORIAL STAFF
There’s a reason why many democrats have recently been expressing disappointment toward President Barack Obama. He’s bi, that’s why! Not bisexual – he’s bipartisan. Obama likes to be on both sides at once. While it’s commendable to have a president who listens to everyone and refrains from ‘shutting other viewpoints out,’ the Obama who was once a vibrant, powerful symbol of strength and progressive change is fading into the realm of the play-it-safers. A major example of this is seen through Obama’s public stance on gay marriage. While he says publicly that he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, he often hints that he really believes something more consistent with his progressive worldview. He spoke strongly at an LGBT gala, which took place
is warranted. “Yes, we have more work to do. Yes, we have more progress to make,” he said. “Yes, I expect continued impatience with me on occasion.” But he ended his remarks by addressing another important matter at hand: his need to be re-elected, and with that, a veiled promise to gay supporters. “If you keep up the fi ght, and if you will devote your time and your energies to this campaign one more time, I promise you we will write another chapter in that story,” he concluded. “And I’ll be standing right there with you.” Obama being the fi rst African American president of the United States in itself is very powerful. He stands for progression from bigotry to acceptance. But instead of being a leader, he’s following seemingly out of fear. That’s not the Obama we know. That’s certainly not the Obama that inspired millions. It is time for the president to come out of the closet.
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