Llanor Alleyne
Writer | Editor | Artist
“What has he done to deserve it?”
“This is premature, at best.”
–comments on Twitter questioning the validity of today’s Nobel Peace Prize winner
Short-term memory is a bedeviling condition. One that plagues many of us when times are better than others. Yes, the U.S. is fighting a two-front war. And yes, war is, in essence, the opposite of peace. But what the Nobel Peace Prize committee did today was to unveil its political aspirations for a world that for too long lived under a depressing, belligerent cloud created by President Barack Obama’s predecessor, George Walker Bush.
While many opponents to Mr. Obama’s receiving the award choose to base their arguments on the word “peace” and a criteria of accomplishment, they neglect to read the committee’s use of the word, “effort” in explaining why the US President is deserving of the prize. Throughout his political career, including the two years he spent campaigning for the presidency, Barack Obama has sought to bridge the gaping void between “us and them,” a standoff that never has peace at its core. He took that fight to a world that had been frozen out by a US government that seemed intent on creating enemies out of allies and agitating old foes with its indifference.
Nine months into his role as “leader of the free world,” Obama has not ended the Middle East conflict; he has not closed the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison camp; he has not withdrawn troops from Afghanistan or Iraq; and he has not stopped Iran from mouthing off about its desire to obliterate the West. But what he has done, with diplomacy and a healthy respect for other world leaders and countries, is to bring everyone back to the table for civilized discourse on how we are to continue to coexist. Whether or not we believe some of those at the table deserve a voice, it is essential to recognize the significance of discussion and open debate, which are precursors to peace. That he has done so after eight years of stifling, cowboy jargon and illiterate bravado is an accomplishment worthy of praise.
(Photo: Reuters)
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