Sunday, January 20, 2008

opportunity for change

"Change" has become a bit of a cliche in the current presidential campaign. However, we are facing a very real possibility for change in various forms. 9/11 could have been an opportunity for Shrub to unite warring factions in our country. Instead, that chance was squandered, and we are more divided than at any time in my lifetime. The legacy of Vietnam has grown like mushrooms. Will November's election results make the Vietnam-related rifts even deeper, or will we begin to heal as a nation? For all the rhetoric spewed forth in the campaign, the unspoken potential of various candidates to heal our wounds and create new bridges with other nations should not be overlooked.

There's a thought-provoking article in The Atlantic that is well worth a read. I find the fear-mongering e-mails being circulated about Obama to be sad and short-sighted. I do not see perfection in him. He is human and faults like any of the candidates. I think that one of his most promising qualities is his inborn talent for bridging gaps and bringing people together. In such an era of bitterness, this may prove more valuable than many of us now realize.

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