Several weeks ago while at work, I had the television tuned to President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address, until one of my customers requested we watch “anything but that.” I waited for another customer to protest for our country’s sake, but the handful of customers at the bar only nodded in quiet agreement or offered no opinion at all.
And with the exception of my political philosophy class, I heard little else about the speech. I began to wonder why the latest reality-based television show received more attention and debate than the State of the Union address. Or why the entire country seems to center their week around the “Super Bowl” but not one of the most important political speeches of the year.
Presidents Day, on Monday, seemed like just another school day, with the added annoyance of a closed bank and post office. At what point did honoring the highest office in the country become of so little consequence in our everyday life?
I’ve pondered over my 22 years in this world as an American citizen, and I’ve asked myself how the political attitude has changed to the disgruntled inactivity that I see today. Then I realized, I don’t remember a time in my short life that it seemed much different.

The stories my parents tell about the fascination with the Kennedy family and the reactions to JFK’s assassination seem foreign to me, as we spend much more time addressing the incompetence of our president than any positive traits. Presidents were role models and national heroes. What happened to the days when citizens knew more about policy issues than the sadly comical story of our president choking on a snack and passing out? We no longer view the leaders of our country as role models, and it’s pathetic that our generation can’t name three out of the last five vice presidents — but they can list the top hits of the band Matchbox 20.
I don’t believe we can blame our criticism and distrust of our nation’s leader on Richard Nixon’s Watergate debacle or even Whitewater. Perhaps we just know too much. Is it really important whether Clinton inhaled or what Bush Jr. received in a college class eons ago? No, because a little experimenting or one less-than-stellar grade in college is unlikely to dictate our beliefs and actions throughout the rest of our life. If it did, a lot of us would be in trouble.
And I don’t believe that today’s leaders are really that horrendous compared to the ones we continue to revere. It’s no secret that many of our founding fathers were slave owners, had affairs and drinking problems. A president isn’t inhuman. Their job isn’t an easy one. And if we’re looking for a role model ­ for a hero ­ we need to change our perspective. Start reading the paper instead of getting your political information from Saturday Night Live.
It’s easy to complain about how the system is falling down around us, and the president is the easiest one to point fingers at, but we need to have a little faith. Be ready to recognize when they do something that will benefit us all. Whether we like them or not, they are the reflection of our country, and it’s time we cared a little about how we look in the mirror.