Regardless of your political persuasion, you could not but be impressed by the extraordinary eulogy of President Barack Obama for the slain Rev. Clementa Pinckney. In the style of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the president withheld nothing to comfort the South Carolina senator’s family, not to mention the entire nation. A powerful sermon on the grace of God. A potent lesson in African-American history. And when he began singing “Amazing Grace,” my heart joined him. I, too, “was blind, but now I see.” One commentator was so moved that she replayed the entire eulogy that night.
For me the president’s message was a clarion call to get to work for justice and peace. It is time for “we the people” to reject any and all restrictions on voting rights (as Oregon has shown the way) to just say “no” to the financial clout of a few to influence the outcome of our elections, to correct the inequities of our justice system, to stop talking about racial equality and actually start doing whatever it takes to make it happen.
President Obama proved to me that he is no lame duck. To the contrary, he is just finding his stride.
David C. Schroeder
Vancouver
