Ryan ChartrandIt was very disappointing to read the cynical staff editorial on Jan. 20, “Today we inaugurate a man, not a God.” We can agree that we should not expect miracles and any instant results. However, it is sad to see the editorial denigrating the credible message of hope and optimism from the incoming president and his cabinet populated with smart appointees.
The inherent pessimism in that editorial seems aligned with the ethos of the Bush-Cheney paranoia and perhaps in accord with the caustic and intellectually flawed message from naysayer-in-chief Rush Limbaugh and his gullible supporters.
In contrast, let us be the advocates who engender the belief that “all things are indeed possible” when we have smart presidential leadership that is anchored with integrity and pragmatism. That would be the better stance to provide us with the hope of better days for all Americans, both rich and poor.
I submit that we now have a new dawn, after eight dark years during “the reign of error by George W. Bush.” Given the choice between hopeful optimism and cynical pessimism, we as a community of scholars who value intellectual reasoning should lean towards optimism and confidence for a brighter future vis-…-vis any prophecy of gloom and doom anchored with pessimism.
So, let’s lend credence to the new motto of “yes we can and yes indeed we will reach the promised land.”
Unny Menon
industrial and manufacturing engineering professor