News from Peace Begins With Me

I have just completed reading Barack Obama's book - The Audacity of Hope - Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream. Mr. Obama is a very thoughtful and reflective individual and I believe the world will be well served by his leadership as President of the United States.

What Mr. Obama offers is a willingness to dialogue, to consider ideas and perspectives, even those that are different than his own. I was especially moved by the words Mr. Obama spoke in his address following his election as President on November 4, 2008. He stated, "I will listen to you, especially when we disagree."

Mr. Obama is of the perspective that our current political discourse is done in such a way as to unnecessarily divide us. He suggests that we are cramped by "false choices" when issues are reduced to either-or, for-or-against options. Mr. Bush was the master of polarized choice making when he declared in the days leading up to the invasion of Iraq, "You are either for us or against us."

Mr. Obama has the maturity and the humility to recognize that one side does not hold all the wisdom, and that holding a majority following an election does not give one the absolute authority to impose their will in the name of the majority.

Our system of economics, of governance, and of community is based upon trust. And when the trust is eroded by arrogance, by false choices, by deceit and dishonesty, and by polarized thinking that excludes half of the people, our system cannot survive.

It is through the process of considered and respectful dialogue, through innovative problem solving, and through a commitment to shared success that our future safety and stability is secured. Obama states, "Whenever we exaggerate or demonize, oversimplify or overstate our case, we lose."

I believe the people are ready for a maturing of politics whereby ideas and strategies can be genuinely debated, their advantages and disadvantages acknowledged, weighed, and responsibly considered. Then, the hard choices that need to be made are made, not based upon party lines, not based upon winning and losing, not based on the results of the latest polls, but rather based upon what is the best option possible to solve our current challenges. Obama states that our politics is more committed to "winning than to solving problems", and as such fails to utilize all of the wisdom within a community.

The need for a maturing of our political process is not solely the responsibility of our politicians. Citizens too need to move beyond their polarized silos. We need to refuse to engage in divisive either-or thinking. We need to become better informed on the merits and risks of each possibility and be willing to debate our neighbours and our elected officials with honesty and integrity. We need to view compromise and collaboration, not as weakness, but as strength. We need to monitor our progress and have the courage to admit that a chosen course of action may not be working. We may need the freedom that humility offers to choose again.

But most of all we need to hold on to our hope. We need to, in the words of Mr. Obama, have the audacity of having hope in the face of difficulty. Cynicism only serves to paralyze us into inaction and despair. Hope, and a commitment to a shared success is what will carry us forward in the uncertain days ahead.

Wishing you much peace and joy.

Ted