A different form of activism

I love The Onion. It’s their creativity that does it for me. Why rant and rave and get all hot and bothered when you can just joke about an issue? Nice one guys.

Race

I’m still digesting Obama’s speech on race and the comments that have come in its aftermath. I am filled by so many strong, sometimes conflicting emotions that I am not yet able to put it all on paper coherently.

Having said that, it is such an important issue and it would be a shame if we all didn’t take this opportunity to thrash out the issue of race. I think this article by Roger Cohen is fantastic.

Samantha Power

I really like Samantha Power. Why? Well, we have some things in common. She was born and spent her early childhood in Ireland. I guess that makes me feel like I can sort of relate to her.

More importantly though, she’s really, really smart, and she is an incredibly impressive person. She’s one of those people whose sheer intellect hits you the moment she says just about anything. There is a sense gravity about her I respect. She is one of those people you want to listen to because you know they are going to say something important.

What draws me most to this lady though is that she is obviously dedicated to bringing about social change and making the world a better place. She has chosen academia and her writing (Pulitzer Prize winner) as her platforms, and from what I can tell, has used them to great effect.

There’s something special about people who decide that they are going to live for something more than just their own material comfort. There is something even more special about those who through hard work make the most of their talents and gifts. This lady seems to do both.

Although I don’t agree with all of her views, she is very definitely someone I look up to. As soon as I am done with my Mbeki book, I am going to start reading her latest book, Chasing the Flame.

You, me and Obama’s Speech on Race

More and more, I am confounded by the human race. We are all so similar and yet find it so hard to see the world through each others’ eyes. I wonder why that is. I don’t know. I have a lot of ideas and theories, but the truth is, I don’t really know.

What I do know is that Barack took the more difficult path in trying to help his complicated world see things from different perspectives. It was a very honest, courageous speech. If nothing else, it will hopefully lead to a little more honest dialogue. I hope it does a little more. I hope it helps us all at least try to imagine being in another’s shoes. I respect the fact that Obama behaved like a human being with a heart rather than a politician bent on getting elected.

On days like this, I hate politics. The world and all our issues are so much simpler than many politicians make them seem. The solutions to our issues are simpler than they would have us believe.

St Patrick’s Day

Today is St Patrick’s Day in Ireland. It’s a big deal and people take it really seriously. My wife and I watched the parade in Galway and had an absolute blast! I can’t wait for next year’s.

The photos are of my wife having a shamrock painted on her, a flame thrower, and a celtic dancer. I took all of them. Pretty cool day so far. Off to the local pub now (with my camera) to check out what St Paddy’s eve is like.