I don't really want to get into politics here, much less religion. I don't really know anything about this pastor other than what I heard in this short interview, and he doesn't sound like someone whose views would make me at all comfortable (he apparently is known in part for speaking against gay marriage, and other untraditional things). But that's exactly what I want to praise her for. Choosing to be greater than her own perspective (without making _less_ of her own perspective, in any way), in the interest of the greater need and opportunity this change of administration presents. Here are a few of her words:
“It is ABOUT reaching across. We cannot say, this is us, and this is them...I believe that Barack Obama wants to be the president of the Entire United States..."
"...we can disagree on things, yet we can still all move forward... [to say that] “_ they_ have to stay over here, and we're not going to let _them_ in -- that makes us no better than the last administration."
“[Obama] is trying to include all Americans, because that is the only way we're going to move forward...I see him doing that, and I would like to join him.”
Courageous words, I say. Simply because they acknowledge the America that is, scariness and all. And the need right now for greater agendas than only our personal ones. Etheridge's words are not only an affirmation of human strength, they're an unspoken challenge to those who might see her as "one of THEM", to reach within their own humanity and find a similar strength. I hope more people from all perspectives can find the guts to follow her lead. The audio of the entire conversation (just under 5 minutes) can be heard here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98982348
No comments:
Post a Comment