As the election season came to an end, many people started discussing the "Obama legacy." Truly Barack Obama has done something with his 8 years in DC, and what does he leave behind? Today we often connote the word "legacy" as something good, and something that was accomplished that will be remembered. However, by definition it is what is handed down. So what did the United States of America inherit from former President Obama?
Clearly the most signature piece of Obama's administration is Obamacare. Though the approval and success of it are constantly a matter of debate, we cannot claim that this is part of his legacy whether we deem it successful or not. The reason for this is that it very well could be repealed within the first few weeks of Donald Trump's presidency. Didn't last long did it?
What Obama claims to be his legacy is the progress he helped the LGBTQAAIP(RYSUILMNOP... sorry I have a hard time keeping up with all the identifiers these days) community make. While homosexuals did get the right to have a federal recognized marriage during his presidency, Obama wasn't the pioneer of the movement, nor does this movement affect much more than 2% of the United States.
So what is Obama's legacy? What did he contribute to our country that we will inherit and be affected by for years to come? The short answer: political correctness. The long answer:
First of all, prior to the Obama administration, there were only 2 genders (and there still are.) However, we see now from the liberal community claims of not just 2, but dozens, if not hundreds of ways to identify your gender that are not "male" nor "female". Milo Stewart, either an ugly man or an ugly woman, I can't figure out which, made a video where she started #76genders, and then claims that there may be millions of genders, not just 76. While I hate to admit it, I believe this is part of Obama's legacy. The rise of political correctness brought out the weird in our world. While I believe that no voice should be suppressed, confusion shouldn't be touted. If someone doesn't identify as a male or a female, then they should have therapy, not be given a trophy and told they can do or be whatever they want. Not only is it unhealthy, it's incorrect.
Another horrible consequence of political correctness is that of "tolerance." While we know when a liberal says "tolerance" they really just mean tolerance only of those who agree with them, this movement has picked up a few rocks in its shoes. One thing that social justice warriors, or SJWs, have started to believe is that everything is ok (unless it's conservative in nature of course.) Sin starts being seen as permissible because to call someone out for a wrong doing may offend them and SJWs want everyone to feel safe. I hope they realize how unsafe terrorists are. Despite the hundreds of terrorist attacks over the years executed by Jihadist Muslims, the liberal tolerance preachers have convinced leftists that because there are good Muslims, we must not fear any Muslims. This narrative was preached by Obama as well which gave the wayward movement momentum. I know that SJWs don't understand this but Muslim nations don't treat women and gays as well as the "intolerant right". While I do not support discriminating someone on their religious affiliation, I have started to question whether calling Islam a religion is correct or not, for we often associate those of a religion to those who have morals, and believe in something naturally or historically good. However, Islam is neither historically good, nor is it currently evolving into something good. Despite the fact that there are definitely good Muslims, Islam is not good.
While I can list dozens of consequences we suffer from the rise of political correctness, we know that Obama wasn't just a proponent of it, but a protector, leader, and enabler of it and its effects. To it we can attribute the great divide we feel in our country today. This divide comes in many forms: whites and blacks, republicans and democrats, Christians and agnostics, etc. Instead of wanting to unite the country, regardless of political affiliation, behind a cause such as extinguishing terrorism or helping the economy flourish, people are now confused what the real fights are, or who the enemy really is. We enjoy more rights in this country than anywhere else in the world, regardless of your race or gender, yet Obama would have you believe that not only are your current rights at risk, but that you are entitled to even more. Free healthcare, free contraceptives, free housing, free school. Not only is nothing free in this world, but those who receive something without a sacrifice of work or of something holding monetary value hardly ever understand the worth of such a gift. He has got the left to start being apologists for those who may want to hurt us by telling them tolerance means accepting everyone and everything. Jesus didn't teach tolerance and love of sin, but tolerance and love of people. Need I remind you what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Jesus doesn't condone sin, and though He loves the sinner, He would not that the sinner continue in their ways. If He couldn't get them to repent, His way was to eradicate them. "Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." (1 Nephi 4:13)
So to summarize, Obama's legacy is not a positive thing as the connotation of the word suggests. His legacy is something that has made it harder for those with differences to tolerate each other. Bipartisanship has been thrown out the window and he has accomplished what he set out to do: divide America and weaken the dominant power we once had. If anything that was accomplished during his presidency is to have a lasting effect, it is that of "politically correct" intolerance, hate, and socialistic ideologies. He has changed the fight to be against capitalism, free speech, and religion instead of toward national security, economic growth, and unity. Not only is this a legacy that we did not want to inherit, it is one we must oppose. America was once united, industrial, and free. Now we are overrun with regulations, taxes, political correctness, and "social injustice." Obama's legacy must come to an end and like every other obstacle this country has faced, it must come from the working class, the conservatives, the real warriors, the group that ended slavery, segregation, women's suffrage, and much more. It's time to make America great again.
