A Vote for Hope - Obama's Nobel Prize

Do Americans still like themselves? Do they appreciate their nation as a symbol of promise and hope for the millions around the world who want to get ahead and improve their own lives through the dream of living as an American? I have to wonder about this and express some doubts after reading some of the more ridiculous comments on President Barack Obama and his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize this past week. The most incredible year in recent US political history is now being criticized and confused with issues around image vs. content, promises vs. actions. The award should erase such easy oppositions and be embraced.

From news reports, it was announced that President Obama was awakened before 6am to be told the news by his aides. This was clear when he spoke to the press and seemed shaken and unsteady (such things do not happen every day, not even for a president). It was one of the few times that I have seen him truly flustered in front of an audience (not even the Reverend Wright scandal led him to be so visibly moved). I accepted this. It was a moment where he appeared to be as real and human as the rest of us. And then he spoke. His words were eloquent, moving and to the point. He stated that he did not feel that he deserved the award, especially in comparison to the "transformative figures" who have received it for their efforts at resolving conflicts and revealing our better natures. And then it was on to other business.

So, the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth - a man who graduated from Harvard Law School and chose to work as a community activist in a working-class area in Chicago instead of choosing a more lucrative job with an established law firm; a man who raised a lovely family while attaining the respect of his peers in government; a man who made history this past year and brought a divided nation together simply by running for the most prominent role in government and then confirming the hopes of the populace by winning - had a moment of grace and humility in front of the unforgiving lens of the media and the eyes of the world. Aren't these the qualities that make one worthy of the title of Nobel laureate?

Americans should be proud to have this man as their leader and this prize as a reward for his efforts to change the way the old game of politics is played. The Nobel Peace Prize is a gift for us all.