Kind words alone can't heal a nation

Amid pomp, circumstance, extra security, rain and protesters, the 43rd president of the United States was sworn in. President George W. Bush, like his predecessors, put his hand on the Bible, took the oath office Jan. 20 and delivered his first message as president.

It is, at this point, just a speech. The challenge now is for Mr. Bush to make good on his pledge, his solemn promise, to speak for greater justice and compassion, alongside calls for greater responsibility.

Mr. Bush called the American experience a great odyssey based on high ideals and devotion to the principles of freedom, service, community and responsibility. He called on the nation and its leaders to be engaged participants, who embrace a new level of civility and avoid petty politics for the common good. He spoke of the problem of poverty, prisons not being a substitute for hope and the value of personal responsibility.

All in all, the words in the speech expressed sound-good sentiments�calling for healing, serving the poor and making opportunity real for all people�though the children of slaves, Native Americans and the poor see America�s history from a different point of view, one where failed ideals and broken promises are the norm.

Words, however, are not enough to heal a divided nation and are definitely not enough to assuage Black concerns. With the selection of John Ashcroft as attorney general, Mr. Bush triggered a firestorm of protests, with critics saying choosing a man with an affinity for right wing views, groups and causes isn�t the way to end division.

Mr. Bush has also said a proposed $1.6 trillion tax break and education reform are high on his agenda. There are other pressing matters to consider, if Mr. Bush truly wants to meet the problems of division, poverty and uplifting the downcast.

Among items he should consider are calling for a reversal of mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which over penalize first time offenders for relatively minor crimes; a vigorous investigation of voting rights violations in Florida; a strong policy statement and perhaps executive order against racial profiling; changes to fill the gaps left when Democrat Bill Clinton gutted welfare reform and making sure that his education initiatives include critics who may help craft a workable solution to the U.S. education crisis.

If his talk of high ideals is to ring with sincerity, President Bush must challenge the right-wing elements in his party and consider a moratorium on the federal death penalty. It has proved itself to be an arbitrary exercise colored by racism and class. The result is the poor, the mentally challenged, and non-whites�the most vulnerable in society�are those most likely to be put to death.

On the international scene, U.S. foreign policy must show a greater willingness to resolve conflict, not arbitrarily strike out�as the Clinton administration did in bombing a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan�and must end embargoes and sanctions that cause suffering and accomplish little else. It�s time to reassess the sanctions against Iraq and the Cuban embargo. Tackling these issues wouldn�t be easy, but it would show Mr. Bush has convictions and a compassion that rises above political rhetoric.