Today I felt pride and hope in the possibilities of these United States of America. The elephant that has not only been in the room, but sitting on top of us, has finally been revealed and we are stronger for it. Without guile, Senator Barack Obama talked openly about the progeny of a nation conceived in liberty and yet mired in the most heinous of institutions--slavery. Sen. Obama identified that progeny--racism, Jim Crow laws, discrimination, black anger, and white anger, and the world did not come to an end.
Finally, someone has just flat out said, "Let's talk about race." If we listen, and I mean really listen to what Sen. Obama has to say, we can move towards an understanding of America's race problem that is an essential step in healing the racial divide that weakens and undermines our nation.
I became a lawyer because I believed in the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. When I re-read those documents, which I frequently do, I am still moved at the ideology expressed therein.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I am not naive, and I do not believe that we, as a nation, have always lived up to these ideals, but what gives me sustenance is the ideals themselves, something worth striving for, worth working to achieve. In the words of Robert Browning, "Ah, if a man's reach does not exceed his grasp,then what's a heaven for?"
Obama's speech today joins my list of inspirational documents. I hope that it is the catalyst to begin conversations at the dinner table, around the water cooler, and in our places of worship about the the ways in which we relate to one another. I hope that we engage in dialogues in which we acknowledge our biases but also recognize ourcommonalities; I hope that we work together to discover a healing place, grounded in respect and love for all of humankind.
To read the full text of Sen. Obama's speech, please click here. If you would like to watch and listen to him deliver the speech, please see the video below.
11 comments:
I saw part of Barack Obama's speech on the BBC news last night. I am not saying we in the UK do not have our fare share of racism, which is something that I am not proud of. Walk down any street in the UK though and you will see more mixed race marriages than in any other place in the world, fact. Now that IS something I am proud of.
I do hope America is ready for it's first black president.
Gaz
I watched the entire speech in awe of this mans vision, he echo's many of the discussions that I have had with black and white alike over the issue of race, I like the fact that he gives valid arguments for both side expressing the frustrations that abound, and clearly if each side stopped blaming the other and got together and communicated it's a start. Nothing will be solved overnight however like in the UK successive governments have paid lip service to those who are discriminated against and keeping trying to come up with soloutions which are inpracticle to enforce to everyones satisfaction. Everybody has the right to shelter, food, education, healthcare, were talking basics here, otherwise how can people of all races grow to improve and contribute to society if were are not on a level footing to begin with. I have watched black and white at each others throats convinced they are right, but when government through policies that are unworkable create the divide people are lost, and it sets those who are continually discriminated against back even further, and leaves them with no hope that they will ever be heard as an equal and that they too matter.
Yasmin
xx
Eventually, Obama is going to show some flaws, and I want to make sure we don't put him too high on a pedestal that we punish him for revealing himself to be human. Right now, I'm just incredibly grateful that it looks like we might have a President who's smarter than a 5th grader's teacher's teacher teacher, as opposed to the 4th grader we have now.
I love that quote by Robert Browning. It is one of my favourites. I have not forgotten about your question Sheria. I have just been mired down with work. I will get to it eventually! It's on my list of "to do's!"
Marie
http://ayearatoakcottage.blogspot.com/
it was a brave speech for him to make and he did a fine job.
I cannot wait to read his speech! Someday, maybe I can hear it, also! So many felt inspired by it, from what I'm picking up "on the street." YEAH!
it's way past time that we accept one another as fellow journeyers here on this earth, created and loved by our Heavenly Father who looks on the heart of man and not skin color. i hope senator obama can bring us steps closer to this end.
gina
Oh thank you so much for including the link to the full text of his speech and a video if what he delivered in person. I can't wait to watch that one, and will comment more extensively after I write it. I did write my own experiences interacting with blacks in my entry this morning. And flagged your journal as I did, knowing that you would have some significant to say about Obama's speech. I have read both of your entries here and think as usual they are exptremely well written. You just have the gift of lucidity that makes things to clear that you are trying to convey. Very good! Gerry
I saw part of a speech on the news here in the UK , admirable ...love Jan xx http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeadie05/Serendipity/
I came back and watched the whole speech, and I thought here is man who is thiniking about a lot of issues, and he will have more to say as we go along. I was disheartened to have two c olumnists in Ariozna write this was a poor speech, I suppose because it was lowkeyed emotionally whiich I thought was exactly right to counteract the emotionalism of Pastor Wright's remarks. I thought it was self centered of these columnists to expect to be better entertained instead of seeing that black people have to tread a thin line when it comes to chllenging whites' racism, especially a presidential candidate. I was so pleased to think he did not get over emotional. That's nearly always a mistake. I thought he was level headed and restrained which is exactly what you want a presidential candidate to be in a touchy situation. I thought those two columnists failed to understand the effects of racism. He just has to ignore criiticisms like that and be happy for the opportunity he was given to respond, whiich is only fair when Pastor Wright's remarks are ebing played over and over. Gerry
Agreed, Sheria. I admire him even more for giving that speech. One thing that struck me was that he talked about how he IS all these people. Thanks for providing the link to the text, I will read the entire thing soon--I only got bits and pieces on NPR and the news.
It was a profound and moving experience to go to the National Archives and see the actual documents of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. I wonder how many people bother to read the words, and try to understand their meaning and importance? People can holler "God Bless America!" all they want, but taking the time to read what is the foundation of our country might give them a little further insight on what our forefathers envisioned.
Thanks for a great post.
Beth
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