Sometimes I'm amazed that we are still breathing. With the horrible abuses of the animals, the planet and human kind, it’s amazing that we are still here. But now I'm really afraid that our beloved country, America, is standing on its last wobbly legs. I'm worried that the karmic effects of our negative actions will finally come home to roost. Our lack of compassion and love could actually consume us. However, we are still being given signs from the universe, glimpses of hope and opportunities to rise up and live up to our promise. The whole world wants us to succeed. The whole world wants us to lead. The whole world wants us to be the beacon of hope that we all joyously supported on November 5, 2008 when we elected our forty-fourth president, Barack Obama.
It only took a little more than nine months for the world to once again let us know that they are on our side. Let us know that we did the right thing. Let us know that we took the right course of action. Let us know that our President is a man of peace. Before the President even had time to wish his dog a happy birthday and kiss his daughters on the cheek before they left for school, the vicious, hate-filled and at times, racist, attacks began.
The President’s honest attempt to promote world peace through the same methods taught by Jesus Christ are met with contempt by a country whose collective consciousness is extraordinarily fearful and at times, sacrilegious. In one of the most telling moments of the past nine months, the skepticism that the President was met with after his compassionate speech in Cairo, was shocking. He conceded nothing in that speech, but love. This is the route that is prescribed to us by all of the great prophets in the Bible, Q’uran and the Torah. The President stood in front of the world and made the bold statement of fact that America would like to operate from a place of love. His intention to promote health care for all, a clean and sustainable environment, quality and affordable education, civil rights for everyone, including gays, an end to two wars that need to come to an end, is met with so much trepidation and suspicion by a segment of this country whose perception stinks with arrogance. Our progressive President is so loving that the whole world is praying for us to lift ourselves up, but yet we are still so afraid. And we have allowed hurtful, spiteful and small-minded people like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh to scare the love out of us.
America, our country is under indictment. And we will be found guilty if we don’t act. If we allow these nasty, malicious people, who harbor so much hate with views that separate us from the rest of world, to continue to tell us how to think, we will be found guilty of charge one. If we allow so-called “men of faith” who don’t practice a word Jesus Christ preached, to bully us and scare us, we will be found guilty of charge two. If we allow leaders of our country who claim that they represent us, when they really represent big business and corporate greed, to create policy in our name, we will be found guilty of charge three. If we allow leaders of a political party that only know one word, and that is “no,” to work against the best interests of our country, we will not only be found guilty of charge four, we will be sentenced by GOD to SELF-DESTRUCTION.
However. We can turn this around real fast. Our President is trying to do all of the things that he promised. He is trying to change the damaged image of America and Americans around the world. He is trying to create change, not just for change sake, but to make our country better. He needs our support and he needs it now. I respected what he said on Saturday night at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner, “I appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough. Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.” Remember they killed Mahatma Gandhi. They killed John F. Kennedy. They killed Martin Luther King. They killed Malcolm X. They killed Robert F. Kennedy. They killed Yitzhak Rabin. They killed many of the great dreamers. With all of the fearful men running our media, we no longer have to kill the dreamer, it is possible just to kill the dream.
with great love
all things are possible
-Russell Simmons
