For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. [President Barack Obama]
As we enter into the Obama administration, I remember President Obama saying that he intended to have more transparency in his administration. The thing about transparency though, is you get to see everything: the pleasant and the unpleasant; the pretty and the ugly; the light and the darkness. If we are to really usher in an era of peace we have to be honest about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. As the saying goes, “The truth will set you free.”
We also have to be careful about the company we keep. As Grandma used to say, “You are judged by the company you keep.” This applies to us individually, organizationally and nationally. That’s why I was uncomfortable, to say the least, with candidate Obama’s and president-elect Obama’s unflinching support of Israel. Maybe President Obama will be able to make that support more conditional.
What preceded the quote from President Obama’s inaugural address at the beginning of this article troubled me. The President said, “We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”
That would sound really good if we, as a nation, were among the innocents. But we are not. There are innocents who can use this exact same quote with regard to America. This is the truth that we must see. We cannot decry violence if we are purveyors of violence. We cannot condemn corruption in other places while it runs rampant right here. We cannot denounce depravity and immorality when it is so prevalent in our midst.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.]
Although, I was not in Washington D.C. for the presidential inauguration and didn’t experience it first-hand, I got a small glimpse from watching on TV. It appeared that the people were unified in their commitment to respect one another during that momentous occasion. I did attend The Million Man March however, and experienced the commitment to love and respect that was demonstrated then. The weather wasn’t as cold then, nor were the numbers nearly as great but the commitment was the same: mutual respect. The point is, we are capable of great things when we put our minds to it.
We must hold ourselves to the highest standards we are capable of. At the same time we must hold one another accountable and we must hold our leaders accountable. We can’t keep doing things the way we’ve always done them and expect different results. We’ve elected Barack Obama and he has elected us right back. Just as we look to him for guidance, he looks to us. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. The Savior is in us and will manifest as us. We mustn’t look any further.
Alim Gaynor is the Founder and CEO of the Seedpod Empowerment Institute. For questions and comments call 769-798-5247 or E-Mail alimgaynor@yahoo.com
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