What it means
By Eddie Griffin
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The key word here is not Barack Obama, but “Peace”, something people seems to have a lost a sense of, here, recently.
Rush Limbaugh called the Peace Prize “a joke”. He obviously mistakes the message with the messenger. Hence, he announces that he and the Taliban are “on the same side”, as if an irony. Barack Obama, says Limbaugh, should not receive the honor.
Ross Douthat, New York Times News Service, writes this article for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “Barack should have turned down the Nobel Peace Prize” (excerpted):
Obama gains nothing from the prize… He’s the Nobel laureate who’ll probably fail… the prize leaves Obama more open to ridicule. It confirms, as a defining narrative of his presidency, the gap between his supporters’ cloud-cuckoo-land expectations and the inevitable disappointments of reality... "the world’s biggest celebrity," famous more for being famous than for any accomplishment… Great achievements may still await our Nobel president. If Obama goes from strength to strength, then this travesty will be remembered as a footnote to his administration, rather than a defining moment.
But by accepting the prize, he’s made failure, if and when it comes, that much more embarrassing and difficult to bear.
Eddie Griffin from Cloud-Cuckoo-Land to Ross Douthat @ New York Times News Service
Notwithstanding, according to the bible, there will be wars and rumors of wars, Ross Douthat now elevates Rush Limbaugh’s hope of President Barack Obama’s failure to a prophecy of inevitability. Note that he says “the Nobel laureate who’ll probably fail”, followed by “failure, if and when it comes”.
Notice in history: Failure and black men go together like white on rice… bleached, processed, and conditioned.
Otherwise, those of us who voted for Obama and support him have been relegated by the writer to Cloud-Cuckoo-land, with our idealistic Utopian expectations. Far enough, except when I hear Rush Limbaugh says that he is “ironically” on the same side as the Taliban, I wonder who is on Cloud-Cuckoo-land. It seems to me, birds of a feather flock together.
The Taliban hates peace, because the conditions of peace favor the Americans more than the Taliban. That, I can understand. But when an American talk show radio host identifies with and agrees with the Taliban, he spurns the message of peace because he hates the messenger. He insults the very people who voted for Obama. He assails our hope.
Says Limbaugh, Barack Obama should not receive the Nobel Peace Prize honor. But then, what does Limbaugh know about “honor” and giving honor to who honor is due? Instead, he slanders the award in order to demean the man.
Critics say Obama has only been in office 10 months, and the award is premature, that he has not earned it yet. And then, there is that “thin narrow minority” (which Jimmy Carter described) who hate to see a black man honored at anything. They hate the fact that he is President to begin with, let alone winning the Peace Prize.
I’m not surprised. I’ve heard it all before. Martin Luther Coon should not get the Nobel Peace Prize because he is a Communist, and the most dangerous man in America. The advocate of Peace won. The Prince of Peace was crucified on the cross. Martin was martyred, not as a saint, but a man they hated because of the color of his skin.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
In Martin’s day, they were enemies of peace, because keeping Negroes in their place was the only type of peace they wanted. Now, they extol MLK as some kind of saint, posthumously, of course, with all the other so-called saints and prophets.
When Christmas time comes, they will do like the typical hypocrite. They'll send out a card that proclaims: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will towards men. (Luke 2:14) Needless to say, good will is needed before we can ever hope for peace.
That was the message.
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:18) The hateful cannot make peace nor can they find peace within.
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:1-2)
BlogBlast For Peace: November 5, 2009
I seriously don't assume the colour of Obama's skin played any role in awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, even though some had the tendency to make hypothesis based on this, although it didn't make sense at all. And the same is trying to deny his winning by bringing in the factor concerning his race. I think, it really was a little bit premature of the committee to make such a decision, but as Obama said himself - he took it as a call for an action - hopefully in the way bringing more peace. So let's not demean his work, until we see what he is going to accomplish. Lorne
ReplyDeletePeace prize goes to President obama ...Amazing...
ReplyDeleteNo one can deny the historical significance of beaking the racial barrier to become the first African-American president. But there is a determination among some to render him a "failed" administration, kind of like when black Union Civil War troops coming into power with the Freedman's Bureau. Southern history makes it appear that the blacks were incapable of governing, that there was lawlessness and chaos (not to mention the active counter-rebellion of the Confederates).
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line for some is the desire for Obama to fail because of the color of his skin, because of his "racial identity". That is why I noted the “thin narrow minority” of racial bigots.
It was all about Obama's rhetoric, his inspiring messages during the campaign, and the impact that his words had on the world.
Still, speeches alone does not merit the Nobel Peace Prize. Had he not been elected, his nomination would have probably gone nowhere. I don't believe he would have won.
But with his words, and being elected president, and going on the global stage to address allies and enemies alike was courageous and bold.
Obama deserved the award. Everything else is sour grapes.
Very honorable..........prize..
ReplyDelete