Is the President above the Constitution?

Unless you haven’t overcome the shock of the tragic death of the king of pop, you know the Honduran Military has ousted the sitting President. Condemnation has poured in from leaders around the globe, even President Obama expressed immediate deep concern.
Here are the facts as I currently know them:

1. The now ousted President Zelaya has been in office since 2006

2. According to the Honduran constitution, presidents are allowed only one term of four years

3. Zelaya wanted to hold a referendum to change the constitution giving him the potential to extend his hold of power

4. The Supreme Court of Honduras had deemed the referendum illegal

5. Despite this, Zelaya pushed for the referendum

6. Hours before the polls were supposed to open, the military stepped in and removed Zelaya from office

If I have my facts wrong, please feel free to correct me.

If they are correct then there are a lot of questions:

President Obama urged Honduras to “respect the rule of law.” Isn’t the constitution of a nation and the Supreme Court which rules on it THE rule of law for a land?

The European Union called for a “swift return to constitutional normality.” Isn’t that what the military move was attempting to do?

Is the president of any land above the law? Above the Supreme Court? Above the Constitution?

If any sitting president in power can simply change the foundation of a land to suit his/her individual needs, on what foundation can the land exist?

Why was it so important for Mr. Zelaya to force his country into chaos simply for one more term? Who is to blame here?

Is this about ousting a democratically elected president, or saving the nation and dealing with what was deemed by the supreme court to be a criminal act?

What would happen in the US or any country, should the president, with congressional power, decide to change the Constitution to fit his/her agenda?

Are we familiar enough with our constitution to know when it is being attacked?

Which do we defend? Which takes precedence, the President or the Constitution?

Who's "The Man" now?

Congrats goes out to the success of Barak Obama and therefore equal opportunity. Unfortunately that also means Affirmative Action took a hit, sending those who choose to hide incompetence behind claims of racial inequality running for new excuses to fail.

What the election also does is reaffirm to American Citizens and to the world abroad that the “Land of Opportunity” gives the hope to achieve, not the disenchantment to complain.

Affirmative Action and many groups like it may have good intentions in helping all to reach the “American Dream,” but their methodologies such as racial quotas and non-universal testing only enflames the influence of discrimination rather than lessening it.

I am a second generation immigrant. My father came to the US, learned the language, studied at school, adjusted to a completely new culture, worked hard to achieve his dream, and now retires watching his own children succeed.

Growing up, I don’t recall EVER hearing him use cultural differences as an excuse. Of course there was ridicule, of course there was resistance, of course there were problems, but that was NEVER something that would deny him of his goals.
We were raised to work hard, do our best, use our heads, and never give up. We were also raised not to expect or even wait for life to “give us a break,” “help us out,” or “always be fair,” but to take what life gives you…both good and bad…to make yourself better.

For my father, or his children, there were no government hand outs, no skewed or weighted measuring systems, nor did we expect it. And we’d probably reject them even if we did qualify just out of sheer pride.
Because the truth is, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights IS our Affirmative Action. It WAS built to level the playing field. And it IS what makes the U.S. the Land of Opportunity.

Many questioned the unparalleled support that was given to Barack Obama by the mainstream media. Yes he did run an incredible campaign and the opposition was less than inspiring, but the lack of scrutiny in letting the public know about who he is instead of immortalizing him was laughable.

So much so, that the only explanation I can find is that the influence of Affirmative Action is so ingrained in society, that well…I guess he needed help! And how unfair to also give equal time to the old white man.

Regardless, Barak Obama is our next President and of course for the sake of our country and the world of which it is highly influential, I wish him well.

However, where Affirmative Action goes wrong, although it may help one get a position by enhancing qualifications or handicapping others, it certainly doesn’t guarantee performance.

Accomplished people like Condilezza Rice, JUD Clarence Thomas, John Thompson, Meg Whitman, even Oprah didn't need a lot of help to get them to their success. Are they the exception or the rule?

Obama brings the national spotlight to equal opportunity. And regardless of how he does, the US should finally be balanced to equality based solely on performance. There should be no more excuses.

Because “The Man” is a different man…and it’ll be interesting to see who is blamed now.