Letter to the Editor - Tuesday September 11, 2012

Inspiration

Amid the continuing stories of betrayal, greed and poverty, along come the Olympics and Lisa Carrington, the US Women's Amateurs, then the Canadian Women's Open and Lydia Ko, the Paralympics and Sophie Pascoe, and the Democratic Convention and Barack Obama: honest winners who have worked hard and bear no evil.

Their successes and their smiles refresh us. They are people whom we like and we care about. Hardened by the financial crisis, we need to start liking each other and caring about each other again.

The 2012 Democratic Convention was orchestrated with a line-up of moving speakers, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton et al, ending with the Speech from the Mount. Barack Obama is a messianic leader whose calling is to level the playing field so that everyone has an equal chance. Mt Rushmore is waiting for him, right next to Lincoln.

The world is blessed to be living in a generation that is witness to Barack Obama. Like Lincoln, he has suffered cruel insults from his critics, and like Lincoln his goodness and wisdom shine forth. Also, like Lincoln, he is holding together a country on the verge of a civil breakdown.

Obama has the vote of the minorities, but it is the white vote that will win it for him. I am proud of that, very proud that in my lifetime ML King's "content of your character" is the basis of most of our judgements.

What a speech. Lincoln would have been proud especially, when Obama quoted him, "sometimes I have nowhere else to go except to my knees".

Both of these great men have been tested to the point where they have had to sink to their knees for guidance.

MIKE WARD

Mangonui