Obama's America

Culture challenge of the week: Obama’s America

As anti-American riots and murderous attacks erupt across the Middle East, America’s response will be dictated by a man few Americans really know — Barack Obama. It’s time to change that.

A new movie, “2016: Obama’s America,” is doing just that, breaking box-office records in the process. Who would have thought a documentary, in the midst of a tight economy, would draw record crowds to America’s theaters?

But a documentary is a story, and this one has a compelling message. It’s been my honor to help promote it. Americans are flocking to the theaters to learn the truth about Mr. Obama — the man — and the influences that have shaped him and the worldview now threatening our children’s future.

Hitting number three in box office receipts last Monday and Tuesday, according to the website Box Office Mojo, “2016: Obama’s America” also has leapt past all but one of liberal filmmaker Michael Moore’s heavily-promoted documentaries and now holds the number two slot on the all-time list of political documentaries.

What’s the film’s message? That Mr. Obama’s ideology, his mind-set, his dreams and his perspective on America inevitably reflect the rabid anti-colonialism of his Kenyan father and radical mother. As a result, from his student years on into adulthood, Mr. Obama purposefully has sought the counsel and mentorship of five men known for their Marxist perspectives, anti-American rants, and, in the case of Bill Ayers, their terrorist activities here in America.

These are the forces that have made Mr. Obama into the man he is today.

Portrayed by the press in 2008 as a thoughtful scholar and coalition-builder, the Barack Obama of 2012 stands on stage as a brazen, big-government liberal with a socialist bent, whose rallying cry now depends on class envy and government dependency. Worse, as “2016: Obama’s America” shows, he welcomes America’s loss of power and prestige on the world stage. Similarly, he has overseen a precipitous drop in America’s military might, spinning it as a path to reduced international tensions.

What happened to the president who, in 2008, was going to usher in a new era of peace the world over, of friendly relations with rising Islamic theocracies, and nonpartisan politics at home?

Those promises — little more than puffery and hot air — have gone up in smoke. American flags burn outside of embassies. The median U.S. income continues to walk backward, dropping well below the median income of 10 years ago, according to Census Bureau figures. And the “nonpartisan” president has not succeeded in getting a budget passed, instead muscling his way toward ideological solutions through the power of executive orders.

How to save your family: Secure your child’s future

Take your children, particularly your middle and high school-age children, to see “2016: Obama’s America.” They will not get this information in the classroom, thanks to the political heft of liberal teachers’ unions that contribute heavily to Mr. Obama. (Even conservative teachers may soft-pedal negative facts about our sitting president to avoid liberal attacks that paint critics of the first black president as secret racists.)

A recent showing in Virginia — a battleground state — prompted typical reactions among theatergoers. One group of retirees left the theater, shaking their heads, worrying that Mr. Obama would bequeath a “socialist” America to their grandkids. Their response? They’ll vote — and not for Mr. Obama.

A group of teens, not yet old enough to vote, saw the movie as a call-to-action. The eldest, Jack, observed that Mr. Obama’s “mindset and the way he thinks,” combined with his administration’s troubling drawdown of American military capabilities, make the prospect of Mr. Obama’s re-election “scary.” Michael, Jack’s brother, commented that “Obama’s history” is a “bad history” that most people don’t know, but should.

JP, his friend, agreed, saying, “People need to know that his mentors and friends were Communists and even a terrorist.” That’s part of the problem, Jack observed, “The media chooses to keep that quiet,” so voters may end up being “manipulated into re-electing Obama.” Their response? The boys resolved to spread the word.

And so should we. Educate yourself. Encourage others to do the same. Go to the theater this weekend, so there is time for you to learn the truth and spread the word. Without access to facts about the real Mr. Obama — the one nobody knew in 2008 — America may make a mistake from which we may never recover.

Our children deserve better.

First appeared in the Washington Times 9/16/12

Rebecca Hagelin serves on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk Board of Directors and is the author of "30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family." To purchase her book and reach her directly, visit HowToSaveYourFamily.com.