Pretty Words; Barack Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

All day now I have been listening to the media and the people who are "outraged" at the fact that President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. First of all, what an odd thing to be "outraged" about but somehow the media always manages to find that one, solitary, loud and obnoxious, outraged citizen and use them to back up their story. Most people, including the president himself were simply surprised.

The criticism I've heard over and over again has been about "What has he done? All he does is give speeches and more recently on a face book conversation it was commented that he's done nothing but say a few "pretty words".

I'm a little surprised at all the negativity surrounding this. I was surprise at the choice but when I looked around I wondered "who else?" Who else has mobilised the world like he has, who else has invited the participation of the whole world and reintroduced America in a positive way. The rest of the world looks at America completely differently than America looks at itself. That is a fact. The American reputation in the world was tarnished with a particular stereotype and Barack Obama has changed that.

The Taliban is angry about this...well the Taliban is pretty much always angry. Hamas is angry as well. Enough said.

Me, I was surprised but I can't think who else in this world should have gotten this prize this year, but please, if you have a suggestion, I'm open to it....but remember this prize is for promoting "world" peace and Afghanistan and Iraq are not Obama initiatives, he just has to carry forward the torch he was handed. I think the president has some work cut out for him for sure to live up to this prize but if given a chance maybe he will.

As to the comment about his "pretty words" what did any of them do besides say pretty words. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired the civil rights movement in the US with his pretty words, pretty words make all the difference in the world and in my opinion, it's the pretty words that express the ideals of Emerson and Thoreau. It was pretty words that promoted the ideals of those who signed the declaration of Independence and the American Constitution.
Pretty words freed the slaves, inspiring people to see the wrong in the ownership of humans as chattel. Yes there were people who risked and gave their lives to back up those pretty words but without them, there would have been no civil rights movement.

Pretty words promote the ideals upon which democratic nations were built. Do not ever underestimate the power of speech when they express the ideals that are needed to change the way people think.

I remember, almost a year ago, the world celebrating the election of this man. He brought people together, not just in America, but across the world with the words he spoke and the ideals he espoused. I haven't forgotten that. It was incredible and I cannot think of a single solitary individual who did anything equal to that last year.

My personal opinion is that making change yourself is one thing but the mark of true leadership is the ability to inspire that change in others. This has nothing to do with what he has done as the president of that country, America, this is because of what he has done to inspire and motivate and get the people of this world thinking about in the past two years. He's promoting new ways to approach other countries. He's not speaking of anything new, he's just reaffirming the importance of reaching out, of negotiating, of diplomacy, things that have been forgotten...words not war...the essence of the Nobel Peace Prize in my opinion.

I woke up and heard this news and was as surprised as anybody...then I thought about it...he inspired the entire world(and still does)through those pretty words of his. If you've got a better way to inspire peace than through the words that speak of it, I'd love to hear that. Otherwise I'm going with the pretty words.

Of course, being a writer, I'm a little biased.


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Debbie said…
whether I agree or not ( and I am not sure because I do not watch TV so only saw this on Facebook a little bit not know what I think)..I love how you expressed what you felt! and you are so right..who else?? great points!!
Breeze said…
Debbie..I too didn't know what to make of it. So I just thought about it all day. I just got irritated by the "pretty words" as though someone who can speak well, has ideals that he is able to put forth doesn't matter, and as a writer, I object to that lol. And I really can't think of anyone else...which saddens me...where are the great peacemakers? It is a failure on our part, not Barack Obama's that there aren't many options.
Sylvia said…
You're right. More than making something with his hands, it is important to unify and to inspire. Create motivation for a global change. I agree. I confess that I hadn't thought of that.
Chuck Dilmore said…
can find fault
with a sunset. (let them.)

Bravo, sweet Breeze~