Words of Inspiration
In May, 1961, before I was born, President John F. Kennedy challenged Congress and our nation to “commit itself to reaching the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth” within the decade. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong, Commander of the aircraft, responded to NASA with the famous words, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Six and a half hours after landing, Armstrong uttered his famous line "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind".
I was seven years old that summer night and I remember with clarity watching the event on television, then going outside with my family and staring at the moon above. Forty years later, I don’t understand the logistics of building a machine that would carry men to space, nor the courage it must have taken to leave family behind and climb into such a machine, but the story of the Apollo space program has always fascinated me.
Today, there is discussion about what kind of space program our country needs. I’m not sure if I believe it should be funded by the government, if there should be private partners or if our goals should include another moon landing. What I do know is that it’s this kind of spectacular goal setting that has always set our country apart from all others. And today, we need the kind of visionary thinking that blazed that voyage to the moon to blaze other paths.
My vision for our country and the world include peace from the multiple wars we are fighting, a commitment to care for the earth and its resources and for people of the world to be able to provide food, education and necessities for their families. If I were president, I’d set these as national priorities. In fact, in his inaugural address, our president did issue such a challenge to us.
Just over a year ago, President Obama said these words: “That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”
These words inspire me. So in early 2010, I do not make the ordinary resolutions of a new year: to lose weight, or better manage my time or my money, but rather, I resolve to be a part of the solution. I resolve to view myself as a citizen of the world and to make sure that I don’t take for granted the privilege of American citizenship, but I take responsibility to make my world a better place, both locally and globally.
I was seven years old that summer night and I remember with clarity watching the event on television, then going outside with my family and staring at the moon above. Forty years later, I don’t understand the logistics of building a machine that would carry men to space, nor the courage it must have taken to leave family behind and climb into such a machine, but the story of the Apollo space program has always fascinated me.
Today, there is discussion about what kind of space program our country needs. I’m not sure if I believe it should be funded by the government, if there should be private partners or if our goals should include another moon landing. What I do know is that it’s this kind of spectacular goal setting that has always set our country apart from all others. And today, we need the kind of visionary thinking that blazed that voyage to the moon to blaze other paths.
My vision for our country and the world include peace from the multiple wars we are fighting, a commitment to care for the earth and its resources and for people of the world to be able to provide food, education and necessities for their families. If I were president, I’d set these as national priorities. In fact, in his inaugural address, our president did issue such a challenge to us.
Just over a year ago, President Obama said these words: “That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”
These words inspire me. So in early 2010, I do not make the ordinary resolutions of a new year: to lose weight, or better manage my time or my money, but rather, I resolve to be a part of the solution. I resolve to view myself as a citizen of the world and to make sure that I don’t take for granted the privilege of American citizenship, but I take responsibility to make my world a better place, both locally and globally.
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