IT'S GOOD TO BE A PROUD AMERICAN AGAIN

I quote our President in his eloquent and historic Nobel Prize acceptamce speech:

"I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people.
A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.
I raise this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter the cause. At times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world's sole military superpower.

Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions not just treaties and declarationst that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms.
So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier's courage and sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such."

Once again, at a crucial moment, Barack Obama stood up and said what needed to be said, much as he did when the time came to face the "race" problem during his Presidential campaign when he delivered another profound and encompassing analysis of the problem. His Oslo speech was deeply philosophic, wide ranging, and combined idealism with pragmatism. As one would expect, it was not greeted with tumultuous applause with a basically pacifistic audience who, as he noted, were highly suspicious of American past action. Agree with him or not, he was a statesman who stated his position with dignity, erudition and honor.

I hope you were as proud of him as I.