Inspired by Barack Obama's speech on race in America today [3/18/08] and in part in response to the belittlement of hope and rhetoric as things insubstantial and unimportant:



Hope is not a Dream. Hope is a Choice.

Hope and idealism in this modern world are not in themselves signs of naivete or inexperience.
Rather, an informed and educated idealism, focused on how to develop this world's potentialities into this world's new realities is a simple manifestation of principle. It is also bravery. Perhaps what most politicos would consider foolhardiness.

But I see it as an informed choice to decide to get up and head towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Given the choice between working towards making things better WHILE inspiring others to join in versus talking about your plans of what you say you will do while blaming and disparaging everyone else while inspiring nothing more than a victim mentality, who do you think is doing more good in the world today? Because "Day 1" isn't sometime next year. Day 1 is everyday. Day 1 is today. Today, Obama stood up and took a risk to speak his truth because he actually believes in what he is selling. He believes that truth, understanding, and even "mere" rhetoric can be the most powerful and uniting of healing tools that our nation IS in desperate need of today.

This is not some sort of "ivory tower" philosophizing. This is not more of the same beltway Beaurocratic Soliloquy. This is applied idealism. Taking that thought; that there can be a better world, and not just telling someone else how to make it happen- or why they are getting in the way, but actually stepping up onto the stage and helping to BE a part of that change you want to see in the world (to paraphrase Gandhi). It is a far more advanced, more difficult, and politically riskier task than manufacturing flaws and foibles into your competition's campaigns. This is stepping up and walking your talk. Today.

Today I was more inspired by a "political" speech than anything else I have heard from any recent political candidate from this country. I voted for Barack Obama in the California primary and I hope to be able to do the same on November 4th. Don't choose fear, bitterness, or cynical desperation; choose hope. Choose Obama.

~d

here's a link to his site with the entire speech:
www.barackobama.com/index.php