A Tired Man
By Laura McCollough Moss
There was a particular cast to the eyes of Ellis Boyd “Red”
Redding when he sat down before the parole board at Shawshank Prison having
served forty years of a life sentence for a murder committed as a young
man. Played with characteristic
brilliance by Morgan Freeman, Red abandoned the ruse of forced humility. Instead, he laid bare the wisdom gained over
decades of living with regret. Reflecting
on the misguided youth that he had been, Red said “I want to talk to him. I want to try to talk some sense to him. Tell him the way things are. But I
can’t. That kid’s long gone, and this
old man is all that’s left. I’ve got to
live with that.”
Frank Darabont’s powerful script gave voice to Red’s
transition from a thoughtless, cocky youth to a grown man who knew himself, and
had taken full advantage of his incarceration to develop insight and a strong
moral character. I saw a distinct
parallel to this memorable scene in the first presidential debate of 2012
(which aired October 3rd).
Barack Obama’s eyes mirrored feelings that Red experienced, and that I
understood implicitly.
I am a contemporary of Barack Obama; him, born August 4th,
and me on October 26th of the year 1961. While it is true that I have long been drawn
to his intelligence, honest countenance, and personal and political values,
there has always been that feeling that we could have taken Social Studies
class together. In a word, I get
him. I watched him react to Mitt
Romney’s smarmy assault, and felt certain that I knew what he was feeling.
Afterward, the
commentary of liberal broadcasters was passionate. Their president had disappointed them by
failing to fight back. Chris Matthews of
MSNBC was incensed, and minced no words in his critique of Barack’s performance
in the debate. I have to say that even
though I remained steadfast in support of my president, and I was, and am,
proud of him, I too wondered why he did not object strenuously to some of
Romney’s charges. On the subject of
Obamacare, when accused of pushing the Affordable Care Act through to
legislation without regard for the tenth amendment to the Constitution, why did
Obama not remind Mitt, and the audience, that the constitutionality of the Act
had been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court? When Romney repeatedly stated that,
under Obamacare, those who were satisfied with their insurance coverage would
see it changed, why did Barack neglect to mention the millions without coverage
who have been granted access to quality healthcare? As a Registered Nurse,
these were moments that distressed me, but there were others that I need not
mention. They are permeating the media
today, and we all know what they were.
To close the loop, where does Red Redding come into this
editorial? Allow me to explain. As I look at video clips from the debate, I
see the same wise, tired, time-worn expression on the face of Barack Obama that
I recalled from Morgan Freeman’s memorable scene in The Shawshank
Redemption. Barack realizes that he
entered the office of President of the United States as a young, fully-charged,
idealistic public servant. He had every
intention of fulfilling his promises of renewing hope and inspiring
change. What he found out is what all of
us discover somewhere between forty and fifty.
He was forced to confront “the way things are”, as Red so eloquently
expressed one of life’s largest lessons in so few words.
The way things are is that, as President, you aren’t given a
free pass to construct the reality of your dreams. There are countless others with a dog in the fight,
with opinions of their own, and with leverage that you cannot ignore. Barack has learned the full extent to which
the leader of the free world must compromise, ingest partisan and idealogical
excrement (how’s that for a euphemism?), and endure analysis and criticism of
every spoken word, every gesture, and every decision. Our president has aged visibly in
office. His hearty, confident, booming
speaking style has given way to measured honesty. He knows, now, that sober topics on which he
is speaking are not grounds for self-aggrandizement or pandering. He also grieves the pieces of himself that he
has sacrificed in the fight for equality, empowerment and basic health and
safety for all Americans. There is no
doubt in my mind that he is fully aware of his responsibility to the citizens
of this country. I believe accounts that
he sits up late at night reading their letters, and loses sleep over their
content.
Barack Obama bore an expression of resignation that closely
concealed a simmering indignation. He
met Mitt Romney’s glib smirk with a look that said “You have not been where I
have been”. Commentators who remarked
that sitting presidents are unaccustomed to being challenged should consider
how it must feel to be challenged on work that has claimed one’s very heart and
soul. Should Barack Obama have to
explain what it was like to visit Joplin, Missouri, or Bagram Air Field in
Afghanistan? Is he forced to express the responsibility he feels for the daily
casualties of war, or the stress and risk accompanying the decision to
assassinate an enemy? Imagine what it is
like to do the best you can at the most difficult job in the world, and to have
the dissection and analysis of your every move be the full-time occupation of
millions. Under this microscope, Barack
Obama has learned the ropes of American presidency. There have to be moments when he doubts
himself, as anyone would. And it is
impossible to encapsulate in a two-minute response in a debate all that went
into a particular outcome. Concessions
were made for the greater good.
Ground-breaking, significant processes have been initiated (as in
healthcare) for which it will take time and ongoing collaboration and
development to reap full benefit. Barack
Obama owes Mitt Romney no explanation.
“What do you really
want to know? Am I sorry for what I did?” I can almost hear Obama using Red’s words. “There’s not a day goes by I don’t feel
regret. Not because I’m in here or because you think I should. I look back on
the way I was then…”
It is my opinion that Barack Obama has reviewed his first
four years in office. He has asked
himself whether the journey has been worthwhile, and whether he has risen to
the challenges of office. He can look
proudly upon an admirable list of accomplishments hammered out along a
harrowing road. And, when confronted by the likes of Mitt Romney, he feels no
compulsion to prove himself.
(Red again)- Because, to tell you the truth, he doesn’t give
a shit.
