Obama just finished his speech in Berlin. They estimate that over 100,000 people were there. His speech, as usual, was eloquent. He spoke of the unity of the world, our “global citizenship”. He noted the interconnectedness of us all. It was brilliant.
A friend called me from Berlin to tell me he was about 100 yards back in the crowd. He is from Texas; he stood next to a woman from Iowa. He spoke to a family from California that postponed their flight home to be there. He stood and cried while Berliners chanted “Yes we can!” in German. He talked to people from France, England and Italy – all there to see Obama.
Barack’s 2008 World Tour gives us something so much more than speeches, however. It gives a glimpse of how the world would see a President Obama and the America he would lead. That gives me hope. It gives the world hope. America may no longer have the cache of the “only superpower”, but we still have a large impact on the world. The chance that the influence we have could be redirected to the benefit of all those “global citizens” is like one giant sigh of relief. Wouldn’t it be nice if people actually respected us again? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we actually acted according to our stated principles?
Right now, the world is watching and waiting for November. There is a segment of the populace here that will resent that other countries seem to favor one candidate over another. How dare we even be concerned what they think of our president in France? Most likely, those who think it doesn’t matter won’t be voting for Obama in the fall anyway. While we choose our leaders and officials, it is a valid to consider how the rest of the world sees them. The world likes Obama and they see it as a chance for a fresh start. Wouldn’t it be nice for the world to respect our president for a change? The last 7 years we have been subjected to a man that treated meetings of the world leaders like a frat party. Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to take these thinks seriously? McCain wouldn’t embarrass us by calling out “Amigo!” to the prime minister of Italy, but he would still be seen as a continuation of our current policies. Obama would provide a break and fresh start. He would be able to engage other countries in things that effect all of us – global climate change, poverty, terrorism. There would be no “for us or against us”, no trumping up evidence for a war.
Got hope?
Get ready to vote.
Recent Comments