Man of the Year

The newly released "Man of the Year" with Robin Williams may provoke criticism from certain segments of the political sphere, especially those on the defensive about the Bush presidency, but I also hope it inspires sincere dialogue between political parties. The film raises controversial issues regarding electronic voting, stolen elections, special interest groups, big money, and political dissent. These are all important issues, no matter which party controls government at any given time. For example, whether or not voting fraud allegations during the 2004 presidential election hold any validity, I am sincerely troubled by a voting system without a tangible paper trail. I also liked what he had to say about rising above the whole red-state, blue-state paradigm and returning to our roots as the United States.

These are issues above partisanship.

Of course, it's no coicidence this film appears on the American scene just a few weeks before an important election. I just hope people pay enough attention to address the issues rather than continue the venemous political accusations of the last six years. Dissent really is patriotic and essential to our continued freedom in this country. Can we ever achieve our patriotic ideals without demonizing those who disagree on important moral or philosphical issues?

I went to see this film hoping for a good laugh. Well, I found plenty to laugh about, but I also found enough to keep me awake at night wondering about the future of our democracy.