The Power of Ideas (& President Obama)
I think that President Obama’s speech today was extraordinarily powerful. It ranks, in my opinion, as not only one of his strongest speeches, but ranks as one of the most important in our nation’s history. As many of the Good People on this forum have noted, this speech combined rational thought with sincere emotion, and that made watching it a very positive experience.
It reminded me of important teachings from the two mentors that I had the pleasure of knowing as a young man: Dr. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, and Chief Paul waterman, of the Onondaga Nation. Rubin spoke of the Power of Ideas, and Paul about the Power of the Good Mind. These two concepts, of course, are closely related.
Each involves how we, as individuals and groups, perceive problems that confront us. In the example of President Obama’s speech, he identified a serious problem -- for only an unhealthy mind could believe that the violence that maims and kills innocent people in our society is not a serious problem -- and he proposed steps we can take to address that problem. A key point in the President’s speech was that he communicated both “how” and “why” we can take the steps that he advocates.
As with the majority of serious problems that we face, as individuals and a society, there are no magical “cures.” There is no easy way to resolve the anger and hatreds that result in the mass murders that are all too common these days. But, as he noted, we can chose to deal with these issues, in an on-going, rational manner. And I believe that President Obama identified important steps that we can take …..steps that are not instant solutions, but rather, are necessary steps to take in that on-going effort to curb the deadly violence that damages the fabric of our society.
I’m reminded of Minister Malcolm X’s teaching that, if you place a sparkling, clean glass of water next to a glass of contaminated sludge, you can trust a thirsty people will make the correct choice. Today, of course, we have the example of President Obama, compared to the sludge of the terrorists in Oregon. This provides a stark contrast in problem-solving and dispute resolution.
There are, as we witness the rise of Donald Trump in the republican primary contest, a growing number of people who view aggressive tactics as a legitimate option for problem-solving. This is not to suggest that this is somehow “new” -- for far too many, aggression and violence are as “American” as apple pie. Their behaviors have contaminated family life for generations, and as they feel justified -- as part of a vocal group -- their passions have begun saturating our towns and cities. We see the results when a cop shoots a 12-year old boy playing in a park, and when a man shoots little school children inside of their classrooms.
It was extremely important that President Obama spoke today. Yet, the Power of Ideas, and the Power of the Good Mind, demand that you and I are moved to action today, as well. For with the rights defined by our Constitution, come great responsibilities. In this context, we have both the right and the responsibility to contact our elected representatives -- local, state, and national -- and tell them that we support President Obama’s position.
We can be certain that the opposition has been organized and prepared to do exactly that. This includes those who support the dangerous actions of the terrorists in Oregon, and those who are invested in violence. These are people who, while not mentally ill in the legal sense, are ethically and morally impaired: in their sick minds, President Obama poses the “real” threat to our nation. They believe that “strength” is defined by weapon collections, aggressive behaviors, and hatred.
Our strength comes by way of the Power of Ideas, and the Power of the Good Mind. These require that, as individuals, we call, write, and/or e-mail our elected representatives. That, of course, is simply one step. But it is actually an urgent step, more so because we know the opposition is making their voice heard.
I would like to propose that, after we accomplish that first step, we consider some options for group projects. These might include actions as simple as having a hundred forum members focus on contacting an individual “news” program, perhaps one on MSNBC. I’m sure that people here can come up with other good ideas.
Thank you for your consideration,
H2O Man
= new reply since forum marked as read
May your words and the President's words bear fruit. 
