The speech given this week by President Obama on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech has been analyzed extensively by both the right and the left. Depending upon the political viewpoints that one adheres to will obviously affect the way in which one interprets the message given by the president. Some have viewed it as “brilliant” while others have seen it as “divisive”. Other analysts have seen it as a “missed opportunity” in which the president could have celebrated the victories and accomplishments of the past 50 years. Instead, in their opinion, he chose to focus on the shortcomings of our nation. By doing so, the president simply moved into another campaign speech to promote his own political agenda.
I am not a political analyst, and I have no desire to dissect the speech line by line looking to prove a point on one side or the other. However, there are certain things that just made me sit in disbelief as I watched and listened to the president deliver his speech. It started near the beginning when the president quoted these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Every time I hear these words, I wonder how our nation ever got to the point where we simply chose to ignore them. The words are straight to the point. We believe that we have a Creator who endowed us with unalienable rights. A complete list isn’t given, but “among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It begs the question, “How can we destroy the lives of millions of babies and not see the contradiction?” How did we as a nation become so complacent, so apathetic, to allow the slaughter of innocent children to be the law of the land?
President Obama went on to say, “Willingly, they went to jail to protest unjust laws, their cells swelling with the sound of freedom songs. A lifetime of indignities had taught them that no man can take away the dignity and grace that God grants us. They had learned through hard experience what Frederick Douglas once taught: that freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” If God gives us dignity and grace, why has the president been so adamant in promoting abortion rights? Is it only some people that have dignity and grace? My dear people, the president may be right. “Freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” Are we willing to maintain the struggle, exhibiting discipline, persistence, and faith, to fight for the unalienable right to life of the baby in the womb? Do we have the guts to protest unjust laws?
President Obama continued, “We might not face the same dangers as 1963, but the fierce urgency of now remains. We may never duplicate the swelling crowds and dazzling processions of that day so long ago, no one can match King's brilliance, but the same flames that lit the heart of all who are willing to take a first step for justice, I know that flame remains.” The fierce urgency of now remains. Yes, it does. We are not only struggling for the right to life, but our liberty is under attack as well. People of faith are being told to keep their faith within the confines of their church building and in the walls of their own home. It has no place in the wider community. This trampling of religious freedom, especially in regard to the HHS Mandate which strives to force us to violate our consciences in regard to the sanctity of life, should ignite that flame in our hearts to truly stand up and fight for justice. “Freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” If that is the reality of things, then let's engage in the struggle until victory is won.
Finally, the president concluded, “And that's the lesson of our past, that's the promise of tomorrow, that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it. And when millions of Americans of every race and every region, every faith and every station can join together in a spirit of brotherhood, then those mountains will be made low, and those rough places will be made plain, and those crooked places, they straighten out towards grace, and we will vindicate the faith of those who sacrificed so much and live up to the true meaning of our creed as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” What does the president envision when he refers to, “the true meaning of our creed as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all?” What is truth in his mind? His actions have demonstrated that he is the most pro-abortion president in history. How does that promote life? His HHS Mandate violates the conscience rights of many faith denominations. How does that promote liberty? Removing God from every aspect of public life, except when it is convenient for political purposes, certainly does not promote a development toward us being one nation under God. Without God, there will be no justice for all. Read the documents of the Founding Fathers to verify that they understood that this new republic which had been established could only succeed if people were guided by their Christian faith and morals.
I am grateful for the positive strides our country has made in race relations, and I clearly understand that we still have work to do. However, since 1973 another civil rights issue has been in play, and after 40 years there is still much to do. Will people of faith accept the president’s challenge as laid out in his speech? Will we come together by the millions to change the course of our country’s current path? Will we fight for the right to life and liberty, so there may be a genuine pursuit of happiness?
I am not a political analyst, and I have no desire to dissect the speech line by line looking to prove a point on one side or the other. However, there are certain things that just made me sit in disbelief as I watched and listened to the president deliver his speech. It started near the beginning when the president quoted these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Every time I hear these words, I wonder how our nation ever got to the point where we simply chose to ignore them. The words are straight to the point. We believe that we have a Creator who endowed us with unalienable rights. A complete list isn’t given, but “among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It begs the question, “How can we destroy the lives of millions of babies and not see the contradiction?” How did we as a nation become so complacent, so apathetic, to allow the slaughter of innocent children to be the law of the land?
President Obama went on to say, “Willingly, they went to jail to protest unjust laws, their cells swelling with the sound of freedom songs. A lifetime of indignities had taught them that no man can take away the dignity and grace that God grants us. They had learned through hard experience what Frederick Douglas once taught: that freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” If God gives us dignity and grace, why has the president been so adamant in promoting abortion rights? Is it only some people that have dignity and grace? My dear people, the president may be right. “Freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” Are we willing to maintain the struggle, exhibiting discipline, persistence, and faith, to fight for the unalienable right to life of the baby in the womb? Do we have the guts to protest unjust laws?
President Obama continued, “We might not face the same dangers as 1963, but the fierce urgency of now remains. We may never duplicate the swelling crowds and dazzling processions of that day so long ago, no one can match King's brilliance, but the same flames that lit the heart of all who are willing to take a first step for justice, I know that flame remains.” The fierce urgency of now remains. Yes, it does. We are not only struggling for the right to life, but our liberty is under attack as well. People of faith are being told to keep their faith within the confines of their church building and in the walls of their own home. It has no place in the wider community. This trampling of religious freedom, especially in regard to the HHS Mandate which strives to force us to violate our consciences in regard to the sanctity of life, should ignite that flame in our hearts to truly stand up and fight for justice. “Freedom is not given; it must be won through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith.” If that is the reality of things, then let's engage in the struggle until victory is won.
Finally, the president concluded, “And that's the lesson of our past, that's the promise of tomorrow, that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it. And when millions of Americans of every race and every region, every faith and every station can join together in a spirit of brotherhood, then those mountains will be made low, and those rough places will be made plain, and those crooked places, they straighten out towards grace, and we will vindicate the faith of those who sacrificed so much and live up to the true meaning of our creed as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” What does the president envision when he refers to, “the true meaning of our creed as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all?” What is truth in his mind? His actions have demonstrated that he is the most pro-abortion president in history. How does that promote life? His HHS Mandate violates the conscience rights of many faith denominations. How does that promote liberty? Removing God from every aspect of public life, except when it is convenient for political purposes, certainly does not promote a development toward us being one nation under God. Without God, there will be no justice for all. Read the documents of the Founding Fathers to verify that they understood that this new republic which had been established could only succeed if people were guided by their Christian faith and morals.
I am grateful for the positive strides our country has made in race relations, and I clearly understand that we still have work to do. However, since 1973 another civil rights issue has been in play, and after 40 years there is still much to do. Will people of faith accept the president’s challenge as laid out in his speech? Will we come together by the millions to change the course of our country’s current path? Will we fight for the right to life and liberty, so there may be a genuine pursuit of happiness?
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