FLOTUS at UMW

So, I saw the First Lady today. She's basically the classiest lady ever.

The speech was, among other things, a list of everything you say to someone who asks things like "But what has Obama even accomplished in the past four years, anyway?" It was helpful, because usually when people say shit like that I just want to glare at them and tell them to Google it.

When she said, "We know that the American Dream should be available to everyone regardless of who they are, what they do, what they look like or who they love," I may have gotten kind of emotional.

But being a religion major ruins everything, especially one who focuses on religion and politics. I kept comparing Michelle Obama's lovely speech to all the journal articles I've been pouring over for my thesis. "Ah, yes, that sounds like article I read on liberal spirituality. But it doesn't seem to match up with that other article on American exceptionalism. Curious." Rather than coming away wanting to do some canvassing, I came out of the speech wanting to do some research. And maybe punch Robert Bellah* in the face.

*He coined the idea of American Civil Religion, which is the root of all my above-mentioned problems. I don't just randomly want to punch religion scholars. At least not usually.