The Power of Words: President Obama Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
Friday October 9, 2009
Categories: International Relations
Afghanistan, the Olympics, the Dalai Lama...in a week when the President was domestically burdened by several international quagmiers or miscues, the Nobel Committee awards Barack Obama the Peace Prize. According to the New York Times: The Nobel Committee announced in Oslo that...
Filed Under: cairo speech, Nobel peace prize, obama diplomacy, obama nobel preace prized, obama nuclear arms, Obama peace prize, obama prague speech, obama rhetoric, the power of words
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Diana Butler Bass and Paul Raushenbush both stand firmly within the Mainline Protestant tradition and, along with guest bloggers of all religious backgrounds are dedicated to the revival of religious progressivism and its influence in American politics.
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Diana Butler BassDiana Butler Bass is a commentator and scholar in American religion. She is the author of seven books including A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009).
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Paul RaushenbushModerator of the Progressive Revival blog and the Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University.
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Whatever one thinks of President Obama's intentions -- or of his promise as a leader -- the award is premature and preposterous. It subjects Obama to ridicule not to mention the silly Norwegians. Consider that the deadline for submitting nominations to the Nobel Committee was February 1st -- only 10 days after President Obama took office. What were his ACTUAL accomplishments then (February 1) or now (October 9)? Not much.
The smart thing for Obama would be to save the situation -- and save himself from further embarrassment -- by charitably thanking the Nobel Committee for their generous impulse and suggesting that others are more deserving of the award (including the $1 million prize money).
Yes, Mr. President, decline the award and spare yourself, the country and the Norwegians further embarrassment.
Once again this award shows the power of words. Words are not just empty utterances. They have the power to heal or hurt. In the case of President Obama they have the power to heal. The world was waiting for a change from the abrasive attitude of the previous administration and the president has provided hope in that direction.
I agree with Emelie. While I applaud Obama's efforts to end nuclear weapons and reach out to the Muslim world, I haven't seen much fruition yet. Let's face it: no one's giving up their nukes yet, the Afghanistan war is going nowhere, and the last time I checked technically we're still fighting in Iraq.
Now don't think that I'm joining any Tea Party. I prefer to stay away from political parties and labels. [Instead of labels like "liberal," "conservative," or "libertarian," I prefer to call myself simply a "peacenik."] All I'm saying is don't award the tree before it bears fruit. When Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, his words had a tremendous affect on the Civil Rights movement. With Obama, right now it's just words, just planting seeds. It's too soon to tell whether or not those seeds will bear fruit.
Appeasing governments is not creating peace, it's playing Santa Claus in hopes that they like us. We all see how well that worked after the N. Koreans gained nuclear material from our former Democrat president! Please separate peace from appeasement and you just MIGHT see that just because they like us for the moment doesn't mean they always will.
I am glad that President Obama has been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Now if people would stop being negative about it maybe, just maybe, there really could be a really good chance that a more peaceful world can take hold. All persons getting on the same page so to speak. There has been a sea of change since Mr. Obama got involved the run for American president. After all the hurt and pain so many of us have experienced he became a beacon of hope! He needs support. He is not a magician and doesn't have a magic wand but he does have courage and a belief that it can get better. What is the better way through these turbulant times if it's not through peacemaking? What is peacemaking anyway if it doesn't include communication of hopeful things versus hateful things? What is civilization and democracy all about? What are children being taught when adults behave so negatively towards such a beautiful thing as peace? Seeds of hope must be planted every day as we strive for a peaceful world. Congratulations to President Obama, the people who had the foresight and courage to award it to him and to all the other Nobel Peace Prize winners. Peace to all!
Carol Crocker
This is why the award is a joke. He is in office less than a year, he has done nothing, absolutely nothing but travel with his family and do photo opts.
What healing words do you mean Mitch? What has he healed. He is tearing this country apart and today after his pathetic health care bill even Democrats are turning against him. Poll numbers that once supported him are at the lowest ever.
I am sure he accepted because he wants money. He should have to share it however with the taxpayer, he does want wealth equally distributed doesn't he? Smile.
"You have made all Americans proud."
Nope.
As for the rest of us, we have to do something well to get an award. That is the way it used to be with the Nobel Peace Price, such as when Jimmy Carter got it for the Camp David Accord, which ended hostilities between Israel and Egypt.
Perhaps I’ll always wonder why Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush didn’t get recognized for causing communism to fall, ending the Cold War. Their policies were instrumental in bringing down the Iron Curtain. That achievement allowed the practice of Christianity in Russia and eastern Europe without government persecution. It also allowed markets to flourish so people didn’t have to get in long lines to buy what little food was available. Russia had to buy grain from the US and Canada for years to feed it’s people.
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