What do you think about President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? It's a big deal - so I've got to ask.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it wanted to honor Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”.
Archbishop Tutu voiced his thoughts on Obama's recognition by sayng the prize is a “wonderful recognition of Obama's effort to reach out to the Arab world after years of hostility". “In a way, it's an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all,” Tutu won the Nobel prize in 1984 for his long battle for a non-violent end to South Africa's apartheid system of racial segregation.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, "The real question Americans are asking is, What has President Obama actually accomplished?"
ABC7 Eyewitness news question of the day on Friday was "Do you agree with the Norweigian Nobel Committee's decision to ward the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama? Of the 2,005 votes in answear to this question; 77% said no, 19% said yes and 2% were undecided. (I guess the other 2% logged in but didn't pick one of the three answer choices).
Obama said he was surprised and deeply humbled by the honor, he said:
"Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations," "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize."
So, what do you think about President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
15 comments:
The biggest problem I have with it is that Obama was in office for only 2 weeks by February 1, which is when the nominations for this prestigious honor were due. Two weeks. To me, that means he basically got this lifetime award for his campaign trail, because that's all he had accomplished by then.
Or for his ideals, which is not supposed to be the intention of the Nobel. It's for accomplishments, not lip service.
You asked! :-)
You know, I'm not really sure what Obama has done that has been that extraordinary in regards to world peace, yet. There's alot of work to do and I think he's willing to do the work. But, C'mon barely a year in office isn't enough time to accomplish that much. However, he has accomplish alot in other ways. Just the fact that he is a black president shows tha hurdles he had to jump. That quite an accomplishment in itself.
Well, this isn't the first time they've given the Peace Prize to individuals who probably didn't deserve it. They gave one to Yasser Arafat and he'd been supporting terrorism for decades. I think Obama's a pretty good choice compared to Arafat.
Besides, it's a great honor to my country that we have a president with The Nobel Peace Prize.
To tell you the truth, I'm not even interested to hear about this knowing he hasn't accomplished anything. But that comes as no surprise. That's how men's standards are...It's just scary that there are so many who pleases each other, and everyone forgets to please God...God help us!
The Nobel peace prize has officially lost all credibility. The irony of it being on the same day we fired a missile at the moon is truly bizarre!
My initial reaction was similar to what some has shared. What has President Obama really done to deserve this honor?
As I thought more and more about it, I think he is very deserving and the Nobel Peace Prize committee was very astute in awarding it to him.
Chel notes that nominations were due by Feb 1st. That is true and there were 205 nominations this year. However, the voting by the committee isn't done until October, so her belief that he got a lifetime award for his campaign trail is unfounded and ignores the process by which the laureate is chosen.
I do agree with Robert that it is a great honor for not only President Obama, but also for our country, and I am often struck by the number of people who just two years ago were saying America, Love it or Leave to anyone who would criticize the President who are now using any opportunity they can to attack our President.
I've written more about this in a blog post, The Unclenched Fist. I would encourage people to stop by and get a more complete reaction there.
Margo, I gotta tell you that I pretty much lost most of my respect for the Nobel Peace Prize back in 1994 when Yasser Arafat won it. Like Robert pointed out, this guy had been supporting terrorism for decades.
But I also agree with Robert that it is gratifying that our president, who is a man of color, received the prize. I'll never forget when my middle son (now age 16) was about 8 years old. He had been studying these plastic type place mats that I used at the table that had all the presidents on them; I remember him asking home come they were all light skinned men, why weren't there any dark skinned men or women? I was born in 1960, so for me it was a delight that my son would live in a world where the question was even asked; since it never would have entered my mind when I was 8yrs old.
However, to be candid, I'm saddened that the specific president we have who is dark skinned is one whose politics I differ with dramatically. I've several deep concerns about his health care reform (previously I'd featured a great article over on the National Review Online from September 29, 2009 entitled
"What’s Hiding in the Health-Care Bill?") and I think he's naive at best if he thinks economic sanctions can deter President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad from pursuing nuclear weapons. That being said, as a Christian I still need to deal with the whole mandate from Romans 13:7 (NLT): "Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority." I grapple with how to give honor to someone with whom I disagree.
Tracy,
You can't give honor (respect?) someone with whom you disagree? I know I can, because you are now on my blogroll. I also respect you because you allow open comments on your blog and (as far as I know) don't delete comments that you disagree with. It's rare to find a christian blogger that does.
Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama. When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think? When you add to this Barack Obama's many previous years of associations and alliances with people who hate America-- Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfleger, etc.-- at what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?
Thomas Sowell
It isn't like Obama can refuse the prize. He commented that he felt undeserving of it. But, why was his name put in as a nomination only after 2 weeks? I don't blame Obama, I still respect him. I just think the Nobel Peace Prize lost its' credibility.
JD, I gotta tell you that when I wrote this post, I thought of you. I figured what your response would be.
I do have most, if not all, of the same problems with President Obama that you do. None the less, he IS the president and my take on Romans 13:7 doesn't allow for me to be less than respectful of Him/His position. I'm still figuring out what that needs to look like for me in day to life; for one thing my kids never hear me bad talking the President.
Thanks Robert for putting me on your blog roll; I really appreciate it. I'm glad that we can have different takes on things but still be willing to hear the other.
Rather than choose someone who actually accomplished something, the Nobel committee chose to use the award to send a message to the American people, and the message is this; "We very musch approve when America elects 'piece of crap' socialists, so keep doing it".
Then I saw this one T. Check it out,
Unfortunately, this year’s Peace Prize follows a decades-long series of politicized decisions by the Norwegian Nobel committee. The committee has repeatedly rewarded its ideological brethren, the common theme being a desire to produce a more modest role for the United States in world affairs, and a larger role for multilateral organizations, or, as some describe it, "global governance." John Bolton Link
I also found this statement interesting in that same article JD:
"the Norwegian committee is promoting a cause, its cause. They seek to promote and encourage a particular kind of American, one who finds favor with European Leftists, who constantly ask, paraphrasing Rex Harrison’s musical query in "My Fair Lady": "why can’t Americans . . . be more like us?""
Wait...Tracy... It gets even BETTER...
Check this one out...
Last January, at the beginning of those 12 Amazing Days, thick clouds of Hopium wafted over us. So there is a slight chance I inhaled, repeatedly, and became confused about those early, heady days. Yet through the fog of time and Hopium, I remember it as a time of high adventure; of gentle forest creatures and centaurs banding together to fight cynicism and sprinkle hope upon the people. It was a time of tea and cakes.
On the First Day, tens of thousands waited hours and packed the National Mall to hear his inaugural speech. They were so cold, tired and hungry. Obama brought forth two McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and five burger buns, broke them and distributed these among the people. All were nourished, with plenty of scraps left over for the starving Republicans.
The next day, Obama journeyed to the tomb of the Republican Party, which had shot itself repeatedly in the foot until it died. There in the shadowy rocks, Barack bent over the corpses of commentators Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and breathed new life into them.
On the Third Day, he bid adieu to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who'd spent the night at the White House to make sure things would run smoothly. This was proper, since years ago, the Daley women found the infant Barack floating in a reed basket along the banks of the Chicago River. They nurtured the crying babe, until he was ready to transcend the politics of the past.
Link to the full article.
John Kass definitely has an amusing way with words; and he does pick on anyone, form any side of the isle.
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