Monday, May 18, 2009

Barack Obama at Notre Dame: A Touch of Class as Always

May 17th turned out to be a gray and wet Sunday afternoon as I sat working on the new issue of my e-magazine. Buzzing in the background for the past few days, had been the incessant cacophony of voices discussing the feasibility conferring upon a President, who was pro stem cell research and believed in the woman’s right to choose when it came to abortion, an honorary law degree at Notre Dame, a fiercely Catholic institution. The noise was getting louder, protests escalating, and gossip being exchanged-“security is being stepped up, many people are not going, there is this plane flying around trailing banners with images of aborted fetuses, there is a petition signed by close to 400,000 people in circulation asking Notre Dame to withdraw the invitation, irate donors are pulling out money from the coffers of Notre Dame to punish, Father John Jenkins’ decision to invite Barack Obama, and thus choosing “prestige over truth.”

Of course having seen Barack Obama now for more than the first 100 days of his presidential run, I didn’t have any doubts that he was going to face the protesters and the issues that had disgruntled his detractors, head on. At 2 pm. EST, I decided to take a break and see what would happen at Notre Dame.

What had tickled my funny bone a few days ago had been Arizona State University’s decision not to give the President an Honorary degree at his commencement speech there on the grounds that even though he had become USA’s first Black President, he hadn’t achieved enough for them to be impressed enough, to continue the tradition of giving to Obama, what most speakers at graduation ceremonies receive-an honorary degree as a sign of respect and appreciation. In their eyes his “body of work is yet to come.”

There too Obama had handled the rebuff with his usual grace and humor, when he said “I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven’t yet achieved enough in my life. Michelle concurs with that assessment. She has a long list of things that I have not yet done, waiting for me when I get home.”

As I sat through the speech at Notre Dame, I found my heart warming up at the number of standing ovations Obama received. I also found myself alternately laughing at his wry, self deprecating sense of humor,( I don't know if you're aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. So far I'm only 1 for 2” and “ We all know about this university's proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world - Bookstore Basketball. ..I want to congratulate the winners of this year's tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back." Well done. Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O'Ballers" didn't pull it out. Next year, if you need a 6'2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live.”) listening intently and being moved as images flashed before my eyes, at some of the things he said. Many sentences evoked more introspection within me.

When Obama said we must find a way, “to live together as one human family,” and added that “It is this…challenge that I'd like to talk about today. For the major threats we face in the 21st century - whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease - do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.

Unfortunately, finding that common ground - recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" - is not easy. Part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man - our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.”

These words send me back to my childhood. Life was so easy and simple then. Everyone knew everyone, because there was no internet, limited programs on television, phone lines were hard to come by and there were no cell phones.

But what was such an integral part of our lives was the community we lived in. We had the time, before technology took over- to get to know each other and discover, that underneath our religious beliefs, our cultural diversity, we were all the same. The open dialogue, that getting to know each other, took away the fear of the unfamiliar, and peeled away the layer that makes us self absorbed and non inclusive today. When you know and love someone, you watch out for them. And in those days in my home town of Jammu, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs all lived as an extended loving family, watching out for each other’s interests. You see, in those days we all believed in that golden rule that is, as Obama said, the underlying premise of every religion in the world-treat others as you would like to be treated.

Today just as technology had brought us together, it has also been used not only for the good of mankind, but often as a weapon of mass destruction. The internet is one powerful example of how on one hand cyberspace sprouts communities, but also with the same speed wreaks havoc in so many ways. It has made us reclusive, cubby holed in our own little cyber bubbles-saying what we please without considering the fact that words can be more lethal than guns when used unwisely, and that people often read things totally out of context and attack back right away, with horrible consequences for the larger world, because retaliation is only a click of a mouse or a text message away.

And while we race to the finish line, chasing material success, we lag so far behind in reaching out to others. Gone are the days of basking in the sunshine with family, holidaying together, having intense conversations about everything under the sun, eating dinner together, or praying together. I actually saw an ad which said-“No time to go to your place of worship? Now pray, and do confessions online for a nominal charge. Even the Lord now has been banished to new cyber quarters!

One of the most telling statements Obama made and it is so true in every area of life is the fact that, “...one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, men and women of principle and purpose, can be difficult.

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved.”

I think if there is only thing to learn from this President, it’s his amazing capability to be a fantastic listener, and his utter lack of ego. I don’t know how he keeps this incredible sense of detachment, humor and serenity around him, when I struggle on a daily basis to capture some of that and fail time and time again. I get hurt, shed tears, and blow my cool when I see someone being unfair or unkind. At times, I’m guilty the same and even of being impatient, and presumptuous and so much more. And here was this man, standing before a crowd where many were openly hostile and still spoke his mind in a way that was both firm and still full of understanding and empathy.

From my personal perspective, when I see severe, life threatening genetic disorders, certain types of life threatening cancers and illnesses, Christopher Reeve’s amazing battle with a spinal injury and many others like him, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that stem cell research must be encouraged to overcome disease and disability. And I also wonder, where does it say in religion that we must cling to outdated beliefs that don’t have a place in today’s world? Don’t many of us donate our organs after our death, to save lives?

Abortion too is a sensitive issue. But Obama faced that controversy straight on and said “Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions.

So let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women."

Understand - I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it - indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory - the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.” And he asked everyone to do it with “Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.”

I know of cases where the woman, a victim of rape has had the child and hated it every time she set eyes on it because abortion was not an option. I’ve seen and heard of cases where too many children due to religious beliefs, too close in age and not just made the woman physically and emotionally a wreck, it has sent some of them over the edge with tragic consequences.

I also think the environment and the stigma around unwanted pregnancy need to be addressed as much as the issue of pro life versus pro choice. The world can be very cruel to those who break societal norms and get caught, those who are physically or emotionally weak and those who are without a loving family support system.

So continued education and reinforcement is important, because human beings seem to have short memories about what is good for them in the long run.

Obama said so much that is true of life and important to creating a more humane society but the buck does stop with us all. “ ..within our vast democracy, … doubt should remind us to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works, charity, kindness, and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

Because when you serve, it doesn't just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community. It breaks down walls. It fosters cooperation. And when that happens - when people set aside their differences to work in common effort toward a common good; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another - all things are possible.”

And this is the President some people are waiting to see fail?