I heard the report on BBC World TV on the Obama victory and listened to his victory speech in Chicago. A defining moment. After a long, long time, hope is reborn, and the promise of America as indeed a nation of opportunity and a beacon to the world has been resuscitated.
I wept remembering Dr Martin Luther King, and in Obama's speech too, with his refrain, "Yes we can!", there were shades for me of the famous "I have a dream" speech of Dr King. In the audience at Chicago was Jesse Jackson, who was also in tears, and I have no doubt he was remembering his mentor Dr King.
Here is Dr King's last speech, delivered just a day before his assassination.
Forty years after his tragic assasination, the glorious vision of Martin Luther King, for America, for the world, has once again a chance of realisation.
Read Ben Okri's article in The Times (London) on the Obama phenomenon here.
2 comments:
Babloo
Every agent of real social change in America has been assassinated. This frightens me. The blogs contain very aggressive commentaries by right wing conservative lunatics, radical christian fundamentalists, and racist hillybillies. They are dangerous, and we must keep our guard up against these terrorists. Where possible we should prosecute them for incitement or conspiracy. The Department of Homeland Security must now look at the words and actions of American citizens. The hate before the election has now intensified, and will get worse when President Obama pursues his legislative agenda.
Those who live in fear achieve nothing. True visionaries stay focused and surround themselves with like-minded people.
The world will always have its "lunatics," fundamentalists, and racists. Let them stay in their mental prisons. We must continue to move beyond them.
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