Joe McAdory: American unity has eroded away in post 9/11 era
Columnist
Published: September 11, 2009
As horrific and unforgivable as the 9/11 attacks were, they did one thing for America that hadn’t happened for a while. It brought the nation together.
Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, briefly put their differences aside and came together as outraged patriots. We were angry. We were sad. We were one.
Our nation, which allows us the opportunity to voice our political and other views freely, had come under attack.
Eight years later, that American unity has eroded into yet another disgusting sea of partisanship and hate. Can’t we put aside party agendas and put American pride first?
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Dr. Rene’ McEldowney, associate professor of political science at Auburn University and internationally-recognized health care expert, will be the guest speaker at next Wednesday’s Lee County Democratic Club meeting.
The meeting, held the third Wednesday of each month at the Auburn University Club, begins at 6 p.m. Cost for the buffet-style dinner is $11 with the program beginning at 6:50 p.m. The event is open to the public.
The Lee County Republican Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, making the next meeting Sept. 22 with Alabama Republican Party Chairman and District 79 representative Mike Hubbard as guest speaker. Meeting times are 6 p.m. with executive committee meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
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As if the race for the Democratic nomination in the Alabama House District 28 wasn’t crowded enough, it got even more crowded late last month when long-time Shorter Town Clerk Harold Powell tossed his name into the hat. Powell has served in that position for 10 years, but may be more widely recognized in Macon County as a radio personality. He hosts the Harold Powell Show each Sunday morning at 7:30 on WBIL-AM 580.
Other candidates seeking to replace outgoing Myron Penn of Union Springs include former Tuskegee mayor Johnny Ford, former Auburn city councilman and veteran Tuskegee educator Samuel L. Harris, State Rep. Locy Baker of Abbeville, Macon County Commissioner Drew Thompson, and State Rep. Billy Beasley of Clayton.
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Local attorney Tommy Eden announced his intention to run for Lee County Circuit Judge Place 2 earlier this summer. The primary is still many months away, but Eden supporters were in force Friday at Duck Samford Stadium in Auburn passing out cards with Eden’s credentials on one side and high school football schedules on the other.
I’m not sure if Eden supporters were working crowds at other prep venues. I can only speak for where I was. Schedule cards are something people can keep the entire season.
Other attorneys may also enter the race to replace outgoing judge John Denson, but they have not yet made their intentions clear with this newspaper. When they do, I’ll let you know. Then, they too can campaign at high school football games.
Joe McAdory is editorial page editor for the Opelika-Auburn News. He can be reached at 737-2549 or
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Reader Reactions
hbd32,
You get no argument from me about Joe’s character. He’s a fine young man without a doubt.
Make no mistake about the fact that I believe that Media General is responsible for the turn this newspaper has taken, & that Joe as well as other employees are at the mercy of the dire outlook for the print media. It is unfortunate that someone of Joe’s character finds himself in a position of working for one of the many news organizations that the pseudo-president has in his pocket.
I have met Joe. He knows me & what I stand for, & I expect that he understands fully what I meant with my previous comment. Hopefully he also knows how to take criticism when it is given directly. I would expect him to be direct with me if he weren’t employed by Media General. Unfortunately he is in their employ & it has led to his inability to do that.
I do think that Joe knows that I would never wish him anything but the best in this life, but we do have a communication problem at the moment & its initials are MG.
My wife and I, yesterday, remembered 9/11/01. I remember telling a co-worker of mine, that this was one day we will always remember what we were doing and where we were at.
I told my wife 9/12/01, was one of my favorite days as an American. That day there were no liberals, conservatives, Dems, Reps, black or white, we were all friends, we were all one, we were all Americans.
I did tell the same co-worker, that in one years time, this unity will probably come to an end. And it did…sadly.
American-genie Joe McAdory is a good man. I have had the privilege to meet him and he passes my character exams. Joe is an asset to the OA News and the people of Lee County.
I stake any reputation I have that Joe is a good man!
Were you able to type that with a straight face, Joe?
“Our nation, which allows us the opportunity to voice our political and other views freely…“
Gee, Joe, our nation allows free expression of political views?!!!!
Someone needs to let Media General in on that bit of information, don’t you think?
no…not todd palin, i believe the dems post 2nd w’s prez election, when they (Brazelle among others) said “i wish those red states would just go ahead and secede (she was not kidding…and she was not alone)
the dems have been been engaged in more name calling (including you blue dot) than i have seen in the past 30 yrs, yall called W everything under the sun, now if folks like me (who voted for President Obama) disagree with him on this present version of health care reform, i am called a rascist (B Frank, Pelosi), stupid-bigot (2 dem congresswomen from Ca), and anti american (axelrod et al)
well..that level of hate- and non acceptance and lack of diversity of ideas..will drive all us swing voters that went for the dems in 2008, to the republicans in 2010 (or at least all the past 2 months of polls show)
Todd Palin, is that you? Secession is so 1860s. Just ask the Republican governor of Texas.
But let’s entertain your thought, BB, and assume that your solution of splitting up the country is a viable option. Who would decide on the political boundaries, CONgress? Who sets import and export tariffs/ What would be the currency and its rate of exchange? Against what other currency? Oh, never mind.
Sadly, there are irreconcilable differences of opinion in the nation. They will never be resolved, as evidenced by the incredibly brief respite around 9/11. The nation needs to come to that realization and split up, as the USSR did. That way, those areas that wish to continue in their globalization efforts can do so and those that wish to continue America as it was envisioned can do so. This is not simply a disagreement over the color of the carpet in the Capitol Building. This is a disagreement over foundational concepts and the vision of the country.
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