Louisville Courier Journal Editorial: "Prized Peacemaker".
Prized peacemaker
Barack Obama is only the third sitting President of the United States to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The news on Friday from Oslo could be described as stunning, even to the prize recipient, who is nine months into his presidency.
Some groused that the award was premature. The Taliban and Hamas weren't pleased. And the folks who cheered Chicago's loss of the Olympics despite a personal plea from the President have probably taken to their beds in the days since the Nobel announcement.
But other leaders — including former Peace Prize winners Mohamed Elbaradei and Shimon Peres — have hailed the decision.
For its part, the Nobel committee unanimously cited the President's work to rid the world of nuclear weapons and for his commitment to multilateral diplomacy.
Given the prize committee's statement, it is clear the President received the award for who and what he is, as well as for who and what he is not.
After eight years of Bush-era, cowboy swagger on the global stage — “bring it on,” “you're either with us or against us,” preemptive war — it is also clear how welcome our regime change at home has been to those who live beyond our own shores.
One only has to re-visit President Obama's “A New Beginning” speech in Cairo last June to appreciate the contrasts read by our global neighbors. Maybe the award will serve the same purpose in our own land, too. (The text is posted on our Web site, courier-journal.com/opinion.)
Mr. Obama was speaking of the relationship between Americans and Muslims around the world in that speech, but the themes of “principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings” resound among all people and all nations. The Nobel Peace Prize is an indication of how mightily they do resound.
“So long as our relationship is defined by differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” Mr. Obama said in Cairo.
“All of us share this world but for a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort — a sustained effort — to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children . . . ”
This year's Nobel Peace Prize serves as more than an individual award for the new and young President and his embrace of international dialogue, engagement and negotiation. It also serves as a strong signal to the people of the United States, who endorsed Mr. Obama with their votes, that their country is again at home in the world.
Some will say this award, and what it means, was bestowed too early. But some of us believe that the vision it celebrates came not a moment too soon.
Editor's note: To read POTUS Barack Obama's Cairo speech, go here.
Editor's comment: I congratulate POTUS Barack Obama for the honor; Tin foil hatters can go pout in a conner.
Barack Obama is only the third sitting President of the United States to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The news on Friday from Oslo could be described as stunning, even to the prize recipient, who is nine months into his presidency.
Some groused that the award was premature. The Taliban and Hamas weren't pleased. And the folks who cheered Chicago's loss of the Olympics despite a personal plea from the President have probably taken to their beds in the days since the Nobel announcement.
But other leaders — including former Peace Prize winners Mohamed Elbaradei and Shimon Peres — have hailed the decision.
For its part, the Nobel committee unanimously cited the President's work to rid the world of nuclear weapons and for his commitment to multilateral diplomacy.
Given the prize committee's statement, it is clear the President received the award for who and what he is, as well as for who and what he is not.
After eight years of Bush-era, cowboy swagger on the global stage — “bring it on,” “you're either with us or against us,” preemptive war — it is also clear how welcome our regime change at home has been to those who live beyond our own shores.
One only has to re-visit President Obama's “A New Beginning” speech in Cairo last June to appreciate the contrasts read by our global neighbors. Maybe the award will serve the same purpose in our own land, too. (The text is posted on our Web site, courier-journal.com/opinion.)
Mr. Obama was speaking of the relationship between Americans and Muslims around the world in that speech, but the themes of “principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings” resound among all people and all nations. The Nobel Peace Prize is an indication of how mightily they do resound.
“So long as our relationship is defined by differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” Mr. Obama said in Cairo.
“All of us share this world but for a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort — a sustained effort — to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children . . . ”
This year's Nobel Peace Prize serves as more than an individual award for the new and young President and his embrace of international dialogue, engagement and negotiation. It also serves as a strong signal to the people of the United States, who endorsed Mr. Obama with their votes, that their country is again at home in the world.
Some will say this award, and what it means, was bestowed too early. But some of us believe that the vision it celebrates came not a moment too soon.
Editor's note: To read POTUS Barack Obama's Cairo speech, go here.
Editor's comment: I congratulate POTUS Barack Obama for the honor; Tin foil hatters can go pout in a conner.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 3:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home