I've been an Obama supporter since day 1. When I tell people this they often think I must support his stance on the war, healthcare, etc. Yes, I'm generally inline with him on the key issues, but I believe the #1 issue in America is how divided we are. Seems like we're always in an "us vs. them" frame of mind. We have to be "right" and "they" have to be "wrong." Pointing fingers, complaining, cynicism, blaming people, etc, etc. It's in our workplaces and neighborhoods, not just politics.
I've seen in business that in the absence of growth, dysfunction comes to the surface. And, the converse is true: growth covers up dysfunction. But the great companies steer clear of these traps because they are truly "in it together."
What does this have to do with Obama? Everything.
I believe no one in the history of the U.S. has ever had the ability to bring us together as a nation like he can. I may write more on this, but Obama's speech today regarding race in America says it all.
I'm not posting this just to show support. I truly hope people will listen to his speech - not just the sound bites on the news. This is a GREAT speech. It sums up why we can't miss this amazing opportunity to put a man of his background and capabilities in office. In doing so, we put America on a path to once again "be in it together" like we have during so many important times in our history (constitution congress, after civil war, WWII, Katrina).
"But I have asserted a firm conviction — a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people — that, working together, we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances — for better health care and better schools and better jobs — to the larger aspirations of all Americans: the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man who has been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for our own lives — by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny."
Please take 30 mins. to listen. Put it on your iPod, whatever it takes. This speech says it all. Direct, thoughtful, strategic, sincere. The kinds of qualities that make a great leader, and one I believe we would all be proud to have as our front man/person.
If you can't listen, here's the transcript.
Comments welcome.
Comments