Yes, Another Obama/Nobel Prize diary. But I wanted to share this e-mail that I just received.
(Yes I know, many many people received this same e-mail. still.)
Jill
This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.
To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.
But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.
That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.
This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.
So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
This is what I have been saying on various diaries all day.
While I DO NOT want in anyway to take away from the honor he has been given, I feel like it wasn't just Mr. Obama who received the Peace Prize. It is for all of us who worked not just to elect Mr. Obama, but also to toss out others who are not looking for peace and justice who want power for themselves and their greed.
On Election day, on my way home from voting, I burst into tears thinking "Oh, My God, we've just elected a black President". I thought of all the Civil Rights workers I knew-all of whom deserve a peace prize, so many were never recognized, but we could not have achieved this great day without them.
I am too young to have marched at Selma, but I have attended anti-nukes protests, peace marches, anti-war protests. I have sent hundreds of letters, phone calls, e-mails. For years and years and years I have felt that my puny efforts were in vain. What could I do? I was just a housewife. The Powers That BE seemed hell-bent in wrecking our country.
To be honest- I'm not sure what spurred me on to work so hard on Mr. Obama's campaign. It is a toss up between the Hope he offered, or the despair I felt when I thought of the possibility of Sarah Palin sitting in the White House casting our country back to the dark ages. Lets think about that when some of us want to whine about how little has been done- How much do you think Ms half-a-term Palin would have accomplished?
I am reminded today, of housewives, who spend their days soothing cranky toddlers, cleaning up other peoples messes, stretching the all-too-small household budget to include nutritious food for her family, etc etc to have others come in and say, "So what have you done all day?" Sometimes, you are so busy just keeping things on an even keel that nothing seems to be accomplished. I wonder if Mr. Obama doesn't sometimes feel that way?
I'm reminded of all the quiet people who actually do the work of keeping things going, who visit the ill, who make sure others get fed, and taken care of, who put their kids to bed and, late at night, write one more letter to protest a toxic waste dump, or a civil rights violation. These are the ones who wage peace in a hundred ways every single day. These are the people who work to do the right thing, to promote peace, and justice and clean air and safe environment for everybody. These people will not receive a Nobel Prize, individually. But today, their leader received the Prize on their behalf.