Wednesday, October 01, 2008

the audacity

I finally picked up a copy of The Audacity of Hope yesterday. I almost bought it when we were in Florida, but I felt like I was cheating on Reading Rock. I couldn't do it.

I've read the first 90 pages or so, and I can confidently say this: reading Barack Obama's words on paper are doing nothing to quell my love for the man. Nothing. In fact, it makes it all the more tangible as there is now a tactile aspect to the whole thing. I can see the words. I can reach out and feel the pages, and, frankly, I'm a visual person.

Obama has taken a lot of flack for being full of high ideals and, according to opponents, lacking in actual substantive ideas. Hogwash. He does have actual ideas. I, however (and once again), am here to say that I believe in the power of high ideals. I know I'm naive in my idealism. I always have been. I've always wanted to believe that things can be fixed. Things can be made better. Life can be fair and equal for everyone. A child born in Compton can achieve the same things in life as a child born in Greenwich. I believe that. I have to believe it. If it's not possible, what is everyone working for?

I believe that everyone can have real, decent, affordable healthcare. We're supposedly the greatest nation in the world. I don't buy that if we can't get our citizens to the doctor.

I believe that we can protect the planet while still having a functioning economy.

I believe so much that it makes it hard to accept the reality that we're currently facing.

S is screaming for more eggs. Short order cook/mom to the rescue. Have a great hump day, peeps.

5 comments:

Sarah Berry said...

Here, Here!! Totally agree.

Anonymous said...

You're going to love, love, LOVE it. Yes, it's idealistic, but what are human beings without ideals? We need a leader who can appeal to that idealist in all of us because those ideals have the power to bring us closer together as a people. I truly believe that. And the ability to back them up--he gets stuff done. He's gotten himself where he is today & that's no small feat.

Also, when you're done with the Audacity of Hope, Songs from my Father is worth a read. It's much more autobiographical. The amazing thing about it is that even though he wrote it long before he ever entered politics--before he could have possibly known he'd be running for President--it's still his voice. That's how you know his own idealism is for real--it's not just some political ploy--he really believes what he says.

In this cynical, money-driven, sound-byte world, it's about time we had a leader with high ideals. -J

die Frau said...

We had it listed as one of our summer reading books. Not many kids read it, but we did have it. I'm interested!

laura said...

Hi. I found your blog through my store's website's incoming links tracker, from whenever it was you linked to Reading Rock. Just wanted to say that I'm loving your blog. It's nice to find another optimistic lefty in our beautiful but very red state.

Leslie said...

Not gonna lie: at no time have I believed that we have achieved our potential as the greatest nation. Nope.
But I, like you (and Obama), think we can.
I don't want someone who will motivate me with fear, I want someone who will motivate with his (and our collective) strength. I don't want to think we're great because of our exclusivity, I want to be great because of our inclusivity (apparently not a word but whatever you get it).
In any case, I'm pleased you're enjoying the book.