http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57548572/states-petition-to-secede-from-union/
I found this article interesting because the petitioners argue that Obama is encroaching on American Ideals, referring to the Declaration of Independence which states "that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it." The article is about states that are officially petitioning to withdraw from the Union. While I doubt these states actually expect to secede, it is a symbolic gesture. I feel as though this represents American Exceptionalism in that these petitioners have pride in the American way and feel as though Obama is going to take that from them. Obama has always stood for change, and the fact that these Republicans referenced the Declaration of Independence makes me believe that the protesters have pride in the older idea of what it means to be American. With an African American president, it is clear that these long standing standards are shifting.
I agree with the idea that by trying to secede they are making a symbolic gesture towards the president and the direction that the government is heading. I believe that it represents an American Exceptionalism in how they have pride in the old way. With Obama as president the idea of American Exceptionalism is changing in that America's identity is changing as well. Obama has come to reference America as an "Indispensable Nation" rather than as "American Exceptionalism". I disagree with the line that being an African American president has anything to do with it but that an influx of new ideas is slowly changing what being an American is.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/09/04/democratic_platform_swaps_american_exceptionalism_for_indispensable_nation
This is a great debate! It seems likely that racialization needs to be taken into account, to analyze this fully - especially since many of these movements that idealize the Declaration of Independence gloss over the part where it said Black people were 3/5ths of people. I think it's worth noting that any time a politician hails to a better historical era, that has gendered and racial connotations. But I think it also has to do with what Blake's pointing to, this explicit turning away from American Exceptionalism - which is definitely one of the things people accuse him of, of not loving America enough. Accusing Obama of not loving America is BOTH about his ideas and about what he represents.
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