Excelsior!

“And I’m also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu alaykum.” -Barack Hussein Obama, President of the United States of America.

Awesome.

Honestly, I teared up.

I am so very proud of my President and my country.  Our Man was amazing today.  He said things no American President has ever said.  And they were all true.  I was transfixed.  Enchanted.  Slack jawed.  I’m grateful I was alone, just in case I drooled.

It’s worth pointing out that in light of the elaborate smear effort to paint him as some sort of extremist Muslim conducted during the Presidential  campaign, his speech in Cairo today was goddamn courageous.  Beyond that, it was an overt in your face to his neoconservative right wing Christian critics. You know, the ones that so desperately want you to believe that we’re in the middle of some war that is ultimately about our God being able to beat up their God.  The ones for whom ridiculous dogma and apocryphal ideology trump compassion, reality and common sense.

“More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.”

“So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”

Oh man.  That’s the shit right there.

“As the Holy Quran tells us, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.  That is what I will try to do today — to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.”

There it is.  We are all just people.  Humans first and foremost.  How breathtakingly refreshing.  How important and authentic.

Obama quoted John Adams: “The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.”

This notion, so widely held, that America is at war with a religion or an ethnicity or even a geographic region is so very wrongheaded, so perspicaciously misguided, that most Americans, along with too much of the world, have no realistic understanding of just exactly what is happening and why.

It’s understandable, given the litany of lies we’ve been force fed, and our own failure in laziness and apathy to not even bother to investigate for our own edification, the absolute crap the media has foisted upon us so irresponsibly, so relentlessly and for so long.  The failure of journalism in America is mirrored by the doppelganger of breakdown by Americans ourselves, to question what we’re told, to challenge what we are led to believe.  Exactly why we are in this mess.

Willful ignorance.

“The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism — it is an important part of promoting peace.”

As an agnostic,  I am moved  to say Amen.

“Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world……….Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: “I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be.”

Sheezus.  Wow.  In Cairo, Egypt.  An incredibly bold admission about the abject failure of American policy.  I can’t tell you how impressed I am at this honest confession by Our Man on the world stage.  It’s true, America fucked up by invading Iraq.  We screwed the pooch.  Shame on us.

“And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. Nine-eleven was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.”

Of course I was aware of these steps by Our Man, but his restating of them beneath and behind the proscenium of a stage in front of the entire world is nothing less than golden.  And again, the admission of just how far this once great country has strayed, is so brave and nakedly honest, that I am at a loss for words.

He recounts these events, these egregious mistakes, because his intention is to put them behind us by reconstructing our integrity and pride with honesty and transparency, whenever and wherever possible.

Then, he swung the mother of all haymakers:

“On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people — Muslims and Christians — have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they’ve endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations — large and small — that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own.”

“It is a sign neither of courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That’s not how moral authority is claimed; that’s how it is surrendered.”

“The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.  This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.”

Unbelievable.  Finally.  A sitting American calls Israel on it’s shit.

This is change.  I can’t speak for you, but this is why this man earned my vote.  It is why I didn’t hesitate to hope.  I believed him then.  I believe him now.  I believe in him.  As I write this, I am inspired and awfully proud.

This speech will no doubt be read, remarked upon and lauded for decades.

This guy is so fucking cool.

Drinks for my friends.

24 Responses to “Excelsior!”

  • Jonathan:

    AMEN!

  • Kelly:

    Absolutely agree. The road to any kind of lasting peace in the Middle East runs through Isreal and Palestine. It is about time we hear some honest rhetoric toward the parties involved. I thought it was interesting when he said our comments in public will be the same as our comments in private. A reference to backdoor deals by the Bush Administration with Isreal perhaps? Isreal needs us, so we need to put some pressure on them to compromise.

    And can someone tell me why the hell news outlets keep giving Liz Cheney a platform to pontificate? Mr. secrecy in his undisclosed location leaves office and you can’t get the man or his daughter to shut the hell up. He lost all credibility when he lied us into a war and by extension, so did she.

  • Temy:

    I loved the speech. Am reading the transcript again. But we must point out what was wrong with it. You first.

  • Ralph:

    This “Mea culpa” of a speech and his call to his Muslim bloodthirsty Muslim brethren to sound the alarm telling them it’s GOOD to kill Jews and indeed Christians without any worries on the part of any Muslim or Marxist, Maoist and so forth in doing so.
    This speech is a great speech only those who see Neville Chamberlain as a hero.
    Soetero got up there and just said, Fuck the USA and the free world, let’s go kill us some Jews and Christians just like Chamberlian did.

    This man Soetero is a complete narsisistic psychopath whose aim is to destroy the free world and turn it all to Marxist dictatorial totalitarianism undeer his iron fist.

    Oh and, by the way Mike, Racial speech IS protected under the first amendment:

    A 1941 ruling on the case of Sullens v State, stating that the “Freedom of speech includes freedom to
    speak un-wisdom or even heresy.”

    A 1949 ruling on the case of Terminillo v Chicago, stating that “Attacks on racial and religious groups
    are protected by right of free speech in absence of showing of serious substantive evil that rises far
    above public inconvenience, annoyance, or unrest”¦”

    A 1952 ruling on the case of Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v Wilson, stating that: “[The] First Amendment
    prohibits [the] state from banning communication of ideas deemed by some to be blasphemous or
    sacrilegious.”

    A 1965 ruling on the case of Cox v Louisiana, stating that “Freedom of speech is of paramount
    importance and may not be denied merely because it may create dispute.”

    Thus with these rulings, and with the only notable exception being in the case of the utterance of “fighting words,”
    which are defined as “words which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite immediate breach of peace,”
    racist speech is currently protected under the First Amendment.

    You Mike are anti-constitution.
    Deal with it.

  • admin:

    Big surprise that you heard Obama’s speech that way. Blah blah blah. *yawn*

    I already told you Ralph, I don’t care what you think and I’m certainly not concerned about case law as legal precedent.

    Racism will not be tolerated at brainspank, period. Racial epithets are not free speech, in fact sometimes they can be quite expensive.

  • Terry:

    I had the feeling I was witnessing an historic speech given by an amazing orator that would be quoted for generations. Reliving it through your selected quotes confirmed it. It’s been a long while since I’ve been so proud of my President; of my country. Finally, we once again have a real Leader, leading…

  • Ralph:

    It’s also no big surprise at all that you reject constitutional law.
    Hell,
    It’s no big surprise that you don’t let such indisputable facts get in the way of you views and opinions.
    Like all progressives who are intellectually dishonest.
    That’s the facts and it NOT merely my “Opinion”.

    Congratulations comrade you lose again.

  • Ralph:

    Oh and BTW Mike, I dispise racial hate stupidity too.
    I certainly can understand your distain for it.
    But even assholes have rights Mike.

  • Misty:

    Outside of b.spank, and 1 hr of library computer I’m no longer hooked up to the media. I was beginning to loose faith in Obama due to his continued desire for a military presence, at the cost of billions in Afganistan. I got good vibes when I glimsed at Obama on t.v. at the gym while speaking. Thanks for giving me an uptake.

  • admin:

    Ralph, it’s no surprise that you interpret my conviction as rejecting constitutional law. So predictable, so redundant, and yes, so very retarded.

    Again, what facts Ralph?

    Congratulations Ralph, you have demonstrated your retardation again.

  • admin:

    Oh, and Ralph, when you say you despise racial hate, I don’t believe you. You may not know you’re a racist, but the rest of us do.

    On my blog, assholes only have the right to be ridiculed.

  • admin:

    Misty, thank you. One of the nicest things anyone has ever said.

  • admin:

    Thanks be to you too, Terry.

  • admin:

    Thanks be to Kelly and Temy too. And Temy, you first, I’ve done my part by beginning the dialog.

  • Ralph:

    Mike:
    I am part african american.
    I have a Welsh father and a jamician mother.
    Go fuck yourself you self rightous asshole

  • admin:

    Do you know what color I am?
    You’re a bigot Ralph, and a retarded one at that.

    Your positions are indefensible.

  • Ralph:

    What “Positions”?

  • Ralph:

    Oh and I don’t care what color you or anyone else is. That’s a bullshit racist question.
    You are the only one bringing in the race issue all the time and all the time with the Pollyanna, race-baiting tactics of the victimized left.
    You are a racist Mike.
    You are the one who holds up your relationship as some sort of escutcheon of honor that you are somehow OK because you date a black woman.
    That Mike is racist.
    Spare me your retorts of indignation Mike.
    I grew up in a Bahia household. I don’t know if you know what that means but if you do not, look it up.
    I am a Christian now but respect my parent’s views.
    You need to understand Mike that there are black people who do not agree with the Rev. Wright version of the USA or the Jessie Jackson view of race as you and the whole marxist progressives anti- USA, do.
    Check out Walter E. Williams some time.
    Do yourself a favor and get some perspective rather than just a parroting left wing line of diatribe and demagoguery.

  • admin:

    blah blah blah…….*yawn*

  • Ralph:

    Yeah, “Blah, blah, blah, yawn”, my ass Mike.
    You know I’m right and when you have no recourse you as the coward liberal piece of dirt you are, just try to discredit through demagoguery like that.
    We’ll I proved that you are the only racist talking.
    That you have a black girlfriend is no big deal. Guess what asshole?,, almost in every other country in the world that stuff is so over it’s ridiculous to even mention it as a factor. Only in the USA is it a big deal in some places but that’s been changing for years now. Way before the floppy eared hut dwelling rat who was born in Kenya and came from the evil democrat Marxist machine of Chicago to destroy this nation’s very essence and identity.
    Guess what comrade Mike,? It matters not a whit that you are with whomever.
    What matters is that you use such latent racial nonsense to try to be something you are not which is a tolerant and noble.
    You are completely evil, completely un-American and a racist of the most vile sort.

  • admin:

    Enough is enough Ralph. I certainly never touted the color of my girlfriends skin as proof of anything. You brought it up, not me. Your insinuations are insulting to both of us.

    New rule, mention of my significant other or anyone in my family will NOT be tolerated. Shut the fuck up Ralph. Do it again and you’re gone.

    Your attempts to label me racist after defending a racist are a joke. You’re an idiot.

    This discussion is over, retard.

  • Ralph:

    I defended free speech. That’s it Mike.

    The guy using the racial slurs was and is a real unfortunate ass and if you read back I said as much.
    You and I both know it.
    But even assholes have rights guaranteed under the constitution Mike.
    What this is about is YOU not wanting anyone pointing out your obvious bias and demagoguery.
    You are not an intellectual dynamo like you think Mike.
    You just have a whole lot of hate.
    You are a common little liberal prick who bullies and defames others you disagree with through your bullshit political correctness.
    You are not a tolerant person Mike. You are quite intolerant.

  • admin:

    Yes, but assholes are not guaranteed anything on my blog.
    Let it go retard.

  • Ralph:

    OK Whore

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