Three quotes from President Obama’s Inauguration address,
Thursday 21st January 0600 NZ time:
"We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,"
"America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more,"
"As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."
Three quotes that made me glad I was awake at 6am NZ Time this morning.
Words that hold the promise of a paradigm shift from the traditional USA stance. The cowboy, the gunslinger, the bully; where the overriding factor seemed to be an eye for an eye and to hell with the rest of you. (“An eye for an eye makes the world go blind: - Ghandi – a quote one of Shelley’s friends has on the bottom of each of her emails.)
I have reason to hope that this fine, humble, man will hold true to his ideals and strive to forge new ways of being, as a leader nation, in this world of ours. That he will choose to lead his government with his people, on a path much less destructive. A path that will not ignore his own country’s poor and disadvantaged. A path that will transform helplessness into hope by finding ways to engage people in their own lives, no matter what their circumstances.
A path that will hopefully, mean less deaths among the sons and daughters of families around the world, no matter their race, religion or ideologies.
Such a shift in the psyche of the USA as a nation, has already taken shape. That is evident in the support Obama has had in his journey to the White House. It was evident on the faces of the million plus people that had physically made it to the Lincoln Memorial to be part of his swearing in. It was evident in the tears of joy that fell from many eyes as they participated in this moment in history.
The goodwill of the nation, and indeed the rest of the world, (mostly) is behind this President. It is no easy task that he takes on. There will always be extremists and radicals that place no value on the lives of others. There will always be those who seek to take lives in some deluded belief that they have a right to do so. There will be those for who power and greed makes the lives of others cheap.
Today though, I am reminded of the overwhelming wish of the majority to live lives of peace; to see their children grown into adults; to live in the expectation that they will not have to stand by the grave of a child killed in hatred. That maybe, just maybe, there is another way of seeking change and co-habiting as nations, as peoples of the world.
Today I wish this man well and have hope that change is indeed a possibility.
Arohanui,
KG
Thursday 21st January 0600 NZ time:
"We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,"
"America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more,"
"As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."
Three quotes that made me glad I was awake at 6am NZ Time this morning.
Words that hold the promise of a paradigm shift from the traditional USA stance. The cowboy, the gunslinger, the bully; where the overriding factor seemed to be an eye for an eye and to hell with the rest of you. (“An eye for an eye makes the world go blind: - Ghandi – a quote one of Shelley’s friends has on the bottom of each of her emails.)
I have reason to hope that this fine, humble, man will hold true to his ideals and strive to forge new ways of being, as a leader nation, in this world of ours. That he will choose to lead his government with his people, on a path much less destructive. A path that will not ignore his own country’s poor and disadvantaged. A path that will transform helplessness into hope by finding ways to engage people in their own lives, no matter what their circumstances.
A path that will hopefully, mean less deaths among the sons and daughters of families around the world, no matter their race, religion or ideologies.
Such a shift in the psyche of the USA as a nation, has already taken shape. That is evident in the support Obama has had in his journey to the White House. It was evident on the faces of the million plus people that had physically made it to the Lincoln Memorial to be part of his swearing in. It was evident in the tears of joy that fell from many eyes as they participated in this moment in history.
The goodwill of the nation, and indeed the rest of the world, (mostly) is behind this President. It is no easy task that he takes on. There will always be extremists and radicals that place no value on the lives of others. There will always be those who seek to take lives in some deluded belief that they have a right to do so. There will be those for who power and greed makes the lives of others cheap.
Today though, I am reminded of the overwhelming wish of the majority to live lives of peace; to see their children grown into adults; to live in the expectation that they will not have to stand by the grave of a child killed in hatred. That maybe, just maybe, there is another way of seeking change and co-habiting as nations, as peoples of the world.
Today I wish this man well and have hope that change is indeed a possibility.
Arohanui,
KG
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1 comment:
Kia ora KG,
It was an amazing day, has been really an amazing journey to witness. I was proud to be an American on this day, albeit one whom has lived here for 16 years. I think President Obama will need all of our positive thoughts. But it is good to at least have hope.
Rangimarie,
Robb
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