Sense of Hope

With the election of Barack Obama as our next president there is a sense of hope that I have. As I listen to Barack, his ability to articulate his thoughts and ideas are amazing. He seems like a genuine human being that has the capacity to listen. I see him as a person that is wanting to give the government back to the people. Let just briefly expound on those three points.

Barack has a command of the English language. When he talks, the sentences are part of a coherent train of thought that seem to roll off his tongue that invite the listener in to the way he views the world. Those view seems to have threads of common sense woven into their very fabric. It has taken us awhile, but we no longer have to cringe when our president is speaking in front of an audience.

The flip side of being able to speak coherently is the ability to listen. A good friend of mine once told me that true listening is the willingness to be influenced by another person. If I have already made up my mind before the other one speaks, not open to be influenced by the words they share with me, then I am not truly listening. Barack appears to be a very good listener which may be the reason why he doesn't jump to the podium every time a new crisis comes up. Instead, he listens to people around him before he comes to his conclusions.

I suspect that sooner or later he will change positions on various issues at which point he will be labeled a flip-flopper. Shouldn't we all be flip-floppers. Not just change our mind at a whim or for political expediency, but to change our mind when presented with new information. To change our minds after we listened to another person's point of view that allowed us a different insight. To often people refuse to change their mind even when presented with information that will contradict our original position. Yes, expect Barack to change his position on various issues because of his willingness to listen.

The last point is giving the government back to the people. His history as a community organizer will be great asset to him. At the heart of community organization is listening to the community and to help them create the community that they want, not what you want for them. It is to assist the community at the local level to determine how they want to make their community a better place. Community Organization will be allowed to flourish under this administration.

So it is with the election of Barack Obama that I have a sense of hope that we the people in the United States, will get back to what really are our core values, respect for all.