Give The Man A Chance

Let us shift gears today and talk about something else besides the CRAs. A lot has been made recently of President Obama’s shaking hands with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The talking heads on TV and some politicians being interviewed bring up the issue of the lack of human rights in Venezuela, and how under Chavez human rights have been abused by his government. This is all true, but should it be a reason not to have contact and talks with Hugo Chavez? Take a step back in history and ask yourself, should other countries have not had diplomatic relations with the United States in the 1950s and 1960s?

Here we were, claiming to be beacon of human rights, during the Cold War, and we had our own black American citizens not being able to vote, not being able to eat at a drug store lunch counter, not being able to attend state universities in the Deep South and having dogs and fire hoses turned on them for wanting their civil rights. That was not that long ago. Perhaps the talking heads and the politicians can not weigh these facts with the facts of the situation in Venezuela today. What if nations of the world broke off diplomatic relations with us over our own failures to live up to what we claimed was the birth right of all Americans?

In the early 1970s, President Nixon opened relations with China, and the Democrats were supportive of his actions. Today, President Obama is trying to improve our relationships with countries that we need to be at the very least talking with. Is it too much to expect the Republicans to support his efforts to talk with leaders of countries we have lost contact during the Bush administration?

The whole picture brings into focus the importance of knowing your history. Without understanding where these other leaders are coming from, and the culture and political history of their countries, it will be difficult for us to make progress for a better world. I think the Republicans, as well as anyone else that does not know “The Diplomatic History of The United States” check out a book or two and get up to speed. And, read about our own human rights’ history before we start finding fault with the Obama administration for reaching out to our neighbors.

Give the man a chance, we are a strong country, and we should never be afraid to talk. That is what diplomacy is about, talking.

Stay tuned.