Barocha

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

The Lord make His Face shine upon You

And give you peace forever.


The Lord be Gracious to You

The Lord turn His Face toward you

And give you peace forever.

Today marks the inauguration of Barach Obama. So many are writing so much that I fear blog overload.

Suffice to say that his odd-sounding name isn't really that odd. The African "Barach" is very close to the Hebrew "Barocha" or "Bharucha" which also means blessing.

Some of you know the musical work of Michael Card, whose Lullaby entitled "Barocha" reflects the simple Hebrew blessing quoted above.

Play this via Rhapsody.

May the Barocha of the Almighty fall upon Barach.

Hallelujah, Martin, It's October !!

"This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality."

The sentence above is taken from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, given August 28th, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; many folks know the end of the speech, but not as much notice is taken of the beginning.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

I am a middle-aged white man; while I cannot pretend to know first-hand withering heat about which Dr. King spoke, I have seen the changes since the early sixties. Though I hope I never personally blew hot air upon any of my black friends, co-workers, and acquaintances, I could not always avert the hot blasts coming from society as a whole.

Many of my twenty-something students fail to grasp the significance of the Obama Presidency as fully as can some of their older kinfolk--even those twenty-somethings who are themselves black or of mixed race. Nothing is as eloquent as the sight of bleary-eyed black octogenarians standing in mass, joyous witness to the events of the past six months.

Ask. Read. Watch. Do not let the Chicago tears of Jesse Jackson, or the courage of Jackie Robinson, or the verse of Maya Angelou be lost in an insignificant blur of past history. Every American, but especially those who are of African heritage should be as readily able to explain the contributions of Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, or Crispus Attucks as they can Benjamin Franklin or Robert Fulton.

Yes, this President IS a big deal. Treat it as such.

And yet, the very fact that young folks accept this as routine speaks eloquently to this no longer being August.

Hallelujah, Martin, It's October!

Farewell, Mr. Bushanan . . . .

Before Buchanan left office, seven slave states seceded, the Confederacy was formed, all arsenals and forts in the seceded states were lost (except Fort Sumter and two remote ones), and a fourth of all federal soldiers surrendered to Texas troops. The government decided to hold on to Fort Sumter, which was located in Charleston harbor, a visible spot in the Confederacy. On January 5, Buchanan sent a civilian steamer Star of the West to carry reinforcements and supplies to Fort Sumter. On January 9, 1861, South Carolina state batteries opened fire on the Star of the West, which returned to New York. Paralyzed, Buchanan made no further moves to prepare for war. (Taken from Wikipedia)

Today, tracing the "tracks" of President-Elect Lincoln, Barack Obama takes a train from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. Once there, he will become our 44th President.

Was the "State of the Union" on March 4, 1961 (Inauguration Day was later back then) worse than what Mr. Obama faces? Suffice to say, it was a mess. And James Buchanan couldn't wait to high-tail it back here to Lancaster.

The secessionists, lacking any opposition from Washington, ran rampant during the last six months of Buchanan's administration; in our day, it has been rapacious capitalists and religious/ethnic zealots. And Bush 43 did not make Buchanan's mistake--he DID act--but perhaps unwisely.

And so, to this, comes a singularly remarkable man. Much has been made of his being black; but it is NOT his blackness that will be needed--it is his character. Unflappable, deliberative, inclusive, and decisive.

Like many, many Americans, my wife and I are treating these next few days as a holiday; never in my memory have so many people been in such longing for change.

Pray wisdom for Mr. Obama, vigilance for all those entrusted with his safety, and sobriety for all of us as we witness what shall be a day worth remembering.

Progress

Eloquent without comment:




The original post is from wallstats.com Please note that posters are available for sale at that site.

Advice to Obama from Wharton

"Given the array of problems that the Obama administration will confront, what should its priorities be? How much will the new president be able to spend on programs like alternative-fuels research or middle-income tax cuts without driving the federal deficit to unmanageable depths? And how will those short-term spending decisions affect his ability to deal with a long-term crisis -- trillions of dollars in obligations to retiring Baby Boomers as they enroll in Medicare and Social Security? A growing number of commentators contend that Obama's success in dealing with the economic slowdown will affect his policy decisions in other areas."

The quote above, taken from Knowledge at Wharton is part of a larger article in which some of the brightest business minds on the planet "weigh in" on what steps should be taken by the Obama administration.

I recommend the Knowledge @ Wharton series to all business majors.

Technology Policy Under Barack Obama

Obama As Our Sixth Black President . . . .

As we contemplate the election of Barack Obama to our nation's highest office, some historians point out that this may NOT, in fact, represent the first time a person of "black" or "mixed" race occupied that office.

From the Diversity.com website:

Were there other "black" presidents? Some historians have reason to believe people don't really understand the genealogy of past U.S. Presidents. Research shows at least five U.S. presidents had black ancestors and Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, was considered the first black president, according to historian Leroy Vaughn, author of Black People and Their Place in World History.

Vaughn's research shows Jefferson was not the only former black U.S. president. Who were the others? Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. But why was this unknown? How were they elected president? All five of these presidents never acknowledged their black ancestry.

Jefferson, who served two terms between 1801 and 1809, was described as the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginia mulatto father," as stated in Vaughn's findings. Jefferson also was said to have destroyed all documentation attached to his mother, even going to extremes to seize letters written by his mother to other people.

President Andrew Jackson, the nation's seventh president, was in office between 1829 and 1837. Vaughn cites an article written in The Virginia Magazine of History that Jackson was the son of an Irish woman who married a black man. The magazine also stated that Jackson's oldest brother had been sold as a slave.

Lincoln, the nation's 16th president, served between 1861 and 1865. Lincoln was said to have been the illegitimate son of an African man, according to Leroy's findings. Lincoln had very dark skin and coarse hair and his mother allegedly came from an Ethiopian tribe. His heritage fueled so much controversy that Lincoln was nicknamed "Abraham Africanus the First" by his opponents.

President Warren Harding, the 29th president, in office between 1921 and 1923, apparently never denied his ancestry. According to Vaughn, William Chancellor, a professor of economics and politics at Wooster College in Ohio, wrote a book on the Harding family genealogy. Evidently, Harding had black ancestors between both sets of parents. Chancellor also said that Harding attended Iberia College, a school founded to educate fugitive slaves.

Coolidge, the nation's 30th president, served between 1923 and 1929 and supposedly was proud of his heritage. He claimed his mother was dark because of mixed Indian ancestry. Coolidge's mother's maiden name was "Moor" and in Europe the name "Moor" was given to all blacks just as "Negro" was used in America. It later was concluded that Coolidge was part black.

The only difference between Obama and these former presidents is that none of their family histories were fully acknowledged by others. Even though Obama is half-white, he strongly resembles his Kenyan father. And not only is Obama open about his ancestry, most people acknowledge him as a black man, which is why people will identify Obama, if elected, as the first black president of the United States.

Barack Obama, John McCain on Foreign Policy

Senator Obama:

After Iraq, we may be tempted to turn inward. That would be a mistake. The American moment is not over, but it must be seized anew. We must bring the war to a responsible end and then renew our leadership -- military, diplomatic, moral -- to confront new threats and capitalize on new opportunities. America cannot meet this century's challenges alone; the world cannot meet them without America.

Senator McCain:

America needs a president who can revitalize the country's purpose and standing in the world and defeat terrorist adversaries who threaten liberty at home and abroad. There is an enormous amount to do. The next U.S. president must be ready to show America and the world that this country's best days are yet to come and be ready to establish an enduring peace based on freedom.

While now over a year old, the journal Foreign Affairs had a series of essays written by the various candidates, including both Senators McCain and Obama.

While the focus of most voters has turned to economic issues, it's still important to know what each candidate feels to be America's place in the world (especially since our economic leadership position may now be in question).

In looking over just the titles, I'm reminded of another quote I've seen recently in relation to the investment crisis: Losers focus on the risk, Winners focus on the rewards. Interestingly, during a time when the Dow was at 14,000, the Republicans were shaping their foreign policy based on the risks, while the Democrats were couching their essays in the language of the opportunities.

Pablumizing the Presidency

In the most recent "Knight Rider" television show (NBC), the artificially intelligent car, Kit, observes that "many public servants regularly deceive their constituents yet remain in office." Such a shocking revelation from one with no "skin in the game."

In Friday night's first Presidential debate, Jim Lehrer (PBS) continually tried to get each candidate to reveal how the current economic crisis would change their announced spending plans--and neither man would. Standard political theater: candy first, castor oil later.

What I wish I would have heard:

Mr. Obama: After years of deregulation and a costly war we should have never begun, the economy is in a mess, folks. And we need to do something to keep our economy afloat—which may mean pumping federal dollars into multiple levels—the banking industry, wall street, and to struggling taxpayers who were victimized by unscrupulous lending practices.

And these federal dollars have to come from somewhere.

John McCain thinks we need to continue to wage wars—that we must be safe before we can be prosperous. And I don’t disagree with the premise—but after thousands of our men and women killed or maimed, billions of dollar spend—are we any more secure? Especially if we define security more broadly—to include economic security—are you feeling more secure???

All throughout the primary season, I’ve been putting forth the thing’s I’d like to get done during my administration—and my position hasn’t changed on any of them.

But our current economic situation has changed; we need to make sure our national priorities are reflected in our budget. Some hard choices need to be made.

But folks, this is YOUR MONEY. You should have a say in how it’s spent.

So it’s your decision—as we stand before you, candidates to be your President—whose values, judgment, and priorities reflect yours. Choices will need to be made, and the foremost one will be made by YOU in November.

And then, Mr. McCain could have responded with reasons to continue funding the war over domestic programs, but how other spending could be cut.

Honestly looking into the eye of the electorate, and treating us as sentient beings. We can be given meat to chew and digest; we may even get a stomach ache. But we cannot reach an informed decision with a steady diet of rice cereal coming forth from the campaign offices.

We insist that our candidates reflect the values of their respective parties--so John McCain brings on a rabidly rightest running mate with less foreign policy experience than the Olympic volleyball team. Am I to believe the the 2008 version of John McCain will stand up to Osama BinLaden when he won't stand up to James Dobson??

Mr. McCain IS an American Hero; we cannot nor should not deny him that designation. But THAT John McCain took decisive action and stood his ground. Today's John McCain is making knee-jerk decisions (VP choice, suspend the campaign until an agreement is reached, cancel the debate until an agreement is reached . . . .) We don't need a knee-jerk President.

Mr. Obama followed up his debate performance with a campaign ad that explains his position on the bailout a bit more clearly:



With as large a viewing audience as was watching, why couldn't he just have laid that out to us in the debate? Certainly, Mr. McCain could have rebutted (which an ad doesn't allow), and Jim Lehrer would have pressed for details--but we want to see a President who can lead us through an argument line by line while under fire.

Gentlemen, you both get high marks for being politicians; neither of you gave a convincing performance as a President.