Obama's Middle East Speech
In this historic speech which hopefully is the beginning a a change of our paradigm in our relationships with foreign countries President Obama touches upon the history of our relationship with Muslim countries by citing his own personal experiences with the Muslim community as a youth and it's contributions to the world. He mentioned civilization's debt to Islam by citing its historical role in paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment while at the same time defining many of the challenges that we face together in the future. He said that of our individual actions affect each other. Understanding that effect is a responsibility we have to one another as human beings sharing this world in the 21st century.
Obama's speech was filled with many tidbits of information that I didn't know before I listened to it - specifically that Islam has been a greater part of America's story than I realized. I was personally enlightened by the some of roles that American Muslims have had our American cultural history that I didn't know about.
In the speech, Obama spoke of the commonalities that bind all of us together and said we should focus on our commonalities as people not our differences. Obama welcomed the existing Middle East sponsored dialogue and said that we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so that bridges can be built between peoples that would lead to positive action that our countries can take together.
It is no secret to anyone that the Middle East has been and still is a highly politically charged area of the world with a potpourri of economic, political and religious problems which are deeply intertwined and involve much more of the world than just the Middle East nations themselves. To me, this was a speech that was way overdue for a US president to make - but yet it felt like it was the right time and the right president to do it. To me, the address served as both a reflection of the past, a statement of the issues as we see them in the present, and a challenge to all to work together with a common goal to solve our current issues in order to achieve a long lasting peace and spirit of cooperation in the future.
All of this attention to the Middle East has had a somewhat detrimental affect on our other relations with others. It would seem that relations at this time between the United States and Latin America today are at a lower point and not as strong as they previously were. In the 80's Latin America's shift toward democracy and economics, along with Washington's view towards free trade lead to us closer ties both culturally and economically. For a time, the America's seemed to be heading in the right direction in that Central America's wars were largely settled; a debt-relief proposal that helped end Latin America's decade-long, debt-induced recession and the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed the NAFTA free trade agreement. But much of this progress has since stalled, with the U.S. policy on Latin America (as well as other countries) drifting without any direction.
President Obama's speech to the Middle East is a positive step forward by the US to communicate the new approach our country is willing to make to establishing a new type of relationship with people in the Middle East and establishing a new paradigm in solving problems that have long made our relations less than desirable and productive between our country and the Middle East.
VIDEO 2:
Oprah Winfrey spoke at this commencement ceremony at Duke University on May 10, 2009. Other than the Mothers Day and the comments about her Godson graduating, she spoke a lot about giving back to others and how it affected her and her work.
I though that speaking to graduates about giving back to others was a very worthy topic and very appropriate for the venue.
However, the part that I was impressed with the most is that she had the capability of having the observing ego to step back and pull a show off the air that had the potential to have a negative effect on the viewers. More of that behavior is sorely needed in media today as media has a profound affect on our culture and how other cultures view Americans.
I do not watch Oprah Winfrey but I do understand that what she says and does influences a lot of American a probably other people also.
Second to your family, the media is one of the biggest influences on society today and is not always used in a responsible way or manner. I feel that network executives, newspapers, Hollywood and politicians all have a fiduciary responsibility accurately portray the news and to realize that Americans are not the only ones to view what we put over the airwaves and in our written news.
For those of you who are interested, Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) Standford commencement speech which I think was a great speech can be found here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
I found his speech to be very inspiring and in alignment with my own thinking...
Classmates review
Beatriz is going to be a proud mother soon!
Michele likes to snorkel and the beach - something we have in common.
Paul thinks that the Caribbean of tropical drinks, dancing reggae and steel drums, beautiful beaches, and pirates.
Kim (and I ) love to scuba dive!
Sara is curious about the different cultures and lifestyles.
Stacy took this class because it looked fun and interesting and we share a similar point of view about texting.
Theresa - yet another reef scuba diver (!) who scuba diving trips who thinks of warm clear waters, laid back settings, wonderful food and friendly people in the Caribbean.
Julisa and Kim have the same background page and is Kim taking this class for a GE requirement
Kelsey thinks Central America is wild and pretty.
Jenn feels that the world is a vast a amazing place.
Isbell (NOT with an A) think of Music, romance and strong heritage when she thinks of Central America.
In this historic speech which hopefully is the beginning a a change of our paradigm in our relationships with foreign countries President Obama touches upon the history of our relationship with Muslim countries by citing his own personal experiences with the Muslim community as a youth and it's contributions to the world. He mentioned civilization's debt to Islam by citing its historical role in paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment while at the same time defining many of the challenges that we face together in the future. He said that of our individual actions affect each other. Understanding that effect is a responsibility we have to one another as human beings sharing this world in the 21st century.
Obama's speech was filled with many tidbits of information that I didn't know before I listened to it - specifically that Islam has been a greater part of America's story than I realized. I was personally enlightened by the some of roles that American Muslims have had our American cultural history that I didn't know about.
In the speech, Obama spoke of the commonalities that bind all of us together and said we should focus on our commonalities as people not our differences. Obama welcomed the existing Middle East sponsored dialogue and said that we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so that bridges can be built between peoples that would lead to positive action that our countries can take together.
It is no secret to anyone that the Middle East has been and still is a highly politically charged area of the world with a potpourri of economic, political and religious problems which are deeply intertwined and involve much more of the world than just the Middle East nations themselves. To me, this was a speech that was way overdue for a US president to make - but yet it felt like it was the right time and the right president to do it. To me, the address served as both a reflection of the past, a statement of the issues as we see them in the present, and a challenge to all to work together with a common goal to solve our current issues in order to achieve a long lasting peace and spirit of cooperation in the future.
All of this attention to the Middle East has had a somewhat detrimental affect on our other relations with others. It would seem that relations at this time between the United States and Latin America today are at a lower point and not as strong as they previously were. In the 80's Latin America's shift toward democracy and economics, along with Washington's view towards free trade lead to us closer ties both culturally and economically. For a time, the America's seemed to be heading in the right direction in that Central America's wars were largely settled; a debt-relief proposal that helped end Latin America's decade-long, debt-induced recession and the United States, Canada, and Mexico signed the NAFTA free trade agreement. But much of this progress has since stalled, with the U.S. policy on Latin America (as well as other countries) drifting without any direction.
President Obama's speech to the Middle East is a positive step forward by the US to communicate the new approach our country is willing to make to establishing a new type of relationship with people in the Middle East and establishing a new paradigm in solving problems that have long made our relations less than desirable and productive between our country and the Middle East.
VIDEO 2:
Oprah Winfrey spoke at this commencement ceremony at Duke University on May 10, 2009. Other than the Mothers Day and the comments about her Godson graduating, she spoke a lot about giving back to others and how it affected her and her work.
I though that speaking to graduates about giving back to others was a very worthy topic and very appropriate for the venue.
However, the part that I was impressed with the most is that she had the capability of having the observing ego to step back and pull a show off the air that had the potential to have a negative effect on the viewers. More of that behavior is sorely needed in media today as media has a profound affect on our culture and how other cultures view Americans.
I do not watch Oprah Winfrey but I do understand that what she says and does influences a lot of American a probably other people also.
Second to your family, the media is one of the biggest influences on society today and is not always used in a responsible way or manner. I feel that network executives, newspapers, Hollywood and politicians all have a fiduciary responsibility accurately portray the news and to realize that Americans are not the only ones to view what we put over the airwaves and in our written news.
For those of you who are interested, Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) Standford commencement speech which I think was a great speech can be found here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
I found his speech to be very inspiring and in alignment with my own thinking...
Classmates review
Beatriz is going to be a proud mother soon!
Michele likes to snorkel and the beach - something we have in common.
Paul thinks that the Caribbean of tropical drinks, dancing reggae and steel drums, beautiful beaches, and pirates.
Kim (and I ) love to scuba dive!
Sara is curious about the different cultures and lifestyles.
Stacy took this class because it looked fun and interesting and we share a similar point of view about texting.
Theresa - yet another reef scuba diver (!) who scuba diving trips who thinks of warm clear waters, laid back settings, wonderful food and friendly people in the Caribbean.
Julisa and Kim have the same background page and is Kim taking this class for a GE requirement
Kelsey thinks Central America is wild and pretty.
Jenn feels that the world is a vast a amazing place.
Isbell (NOT with an A) think of Music, romance and strong heritage when she thinks of Central America.
