Tom Hanks is my favorite actor on the planet, and a favorite human person. In Saving Private Ryan, one of my favorite WWII movies, Tom's character grabs Ryan by the shirt and says Earn This. Very powerful scene.
Earn This.
In another powerful moment, Ryan, now old, asks his wife if he was a good man, surrounded by his children at the graves of those who gave all. If you haven't watched this movie, you should.
I think of these scenes, those two simple words, as President Obama returns home, Nobel Peace Prize in hand, to preside over a troubled nation at war.
I want to respectfully touch his hand and say Earn This.
Earn This.
I believe in you, and in us. I want - need - to believe.
Earn this.
I think he already knows, but I want to be sure.
Tell our elected officials to quit bickering and help you. Demand it.
Demand that America earn peace. We can argue all day about who or how these wars have started, the ones across the ocean, and the ones within our bitter, partisan and myopic walls, or we can simply stop yelling and start working together, toward peace, jobs, education, health, food and energy and hope for our future generations.
We have this amazing Constitution, Bill of Rights, and ideals of freedom, liberty and justice for all. We are not there. Look around. There is so much work to be done and so much at stake. We need to make peace with ourselves, as a people, and look to the future we shape for our children. I'm not sure how to start, but I know I'm ready.
The Nobel committee has extended this gift of hope to our President, and us, and I hope we earn this.
This is said exactly right and I agree with it all. I WANT to believe. I WANT to give peace a chance. Let's beat those damn swords into plowshares. Please? Can we try?
ReplyDeleteWell put. I totally agree.
ReplyDeleteLove, SB.
Oh yes. I think he sees it, too. I was a little worried about him defending the war in his speech, though. But I still want to trust him. The alternative is too ugly.
ReplyDeletehi. i found you via m's blog. i like what you've said here. you're dead on...that this is a gift of hope. this is what an intentional life is all about...light, hope, peace. there is no better place to put our energies.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder if instead of wasting money destroying we could have brought clean water, AIDS education and help to instead of continuing the hatred, as you so well said it, bring an olive branch in the form of feeding the hungry, heal the sick and build their trust.
ReplyDeleteAt home we have much too much to do to listen to the Party of NO and since reasoning doesn't seem to work, let's get it done. I too must hope,at my age and now not being able to march for Peace like in my younger days, I must believe. For the children, for the future, for everyone's children not just our own, but above all because I truly believe that Peace like Charity starts at home, but it doesn't have to stop here. Blessings in this cold night.
Thank you, Mel. Very well said.
ReplyDeleteBesides hoping and believing, I want to be a part of the solution, I want to be led. I don't have tons of money or time, but I want to see an opportunity to contribute. How do I help execute the vision?
I think you're right on the mark.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful, beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. Sometimes I think if we could just harness the power of the wise women in this country, we could get some things done. I am so frustrated and incapacitated these days - I can see what is going wrong on the macro level and haven't a clue what to do as a citizen.
ReplyDeleteParalysis by analysis is the technical term.
I'm hoping I just lack perspective and the generation behind ours will have their collective shit a little more together.
Until then, I'm volunteering in my community to promote literacy and donating to the poor, recycling and trying to be a good role model for my kids. It's all I know to do, and I too wish to be led more effectively.