Subject: FW: Open Letter to Barack Obama from Alice Walker
Saturday, November 8th, 2008Nov. 5, 2008
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea,
really, of how profound
this moment is for us. Us
being the black people of
the Southern United States.
You think you know, because
you are thoughtful,and you
have studied our history.
But seeing you deliver the
torch so many others before
you carried, year after
year, decade after decade,
century after century,only
to be struck down before
igniting the flame of
justice and of law, is
almost more than the heart
can bear.
And yet, this observation
is not intended to burden
you for you are of a
different time, and, indeed,
because of all the relay runners
before you,North America is a
different place. It is really
only to say: Well done.
We knew, through all the
generations, that you were
with us, in us, the best of
the spirit of Africa and
of the Americas. Knowing
this, that you would actually
appear, someday, was part of
our strength. Seeing you take
your rightful place, based
solely on your wisdom,
stamina and character, is a
balm for the weary warriors
of hope, previously only
sung about.
I would advise you to remember
that you did not create
the disaster that the
world is experiencing,
and you alone are not
responsible for bringing
the world back to balance.
A primary responsibility
that you do have, however,
is to cultivate happiness
in your own life. To make
a schedule that permits
sufficient time of rest
and play with your gorgeous
wife and lovely daughters.
And so on. One gathers that
your family is large. We
are used to seeing men in
the White House soon become
juiceless and as white-haired
at the building; we notice
their wives and children
looking strained and stressed.
They soon have smiles so
lacking in joy that they
remind us of scissors.
This is no way to lead.
Nor does your family
deserve this fate.
One way of thinking
about all this is: It is
so bad now that there is
no excuse not to relax.
From your happy, relaxed
state, you can model real
success, which is all
that so many people in
the world really want.
They may buy endless cars
and houses and furs and
gobble up all the attention
and space they can manage,
or barely manage, but this
is because it is not yet
clear to them that success
is truly an inside job.
That it is within the
reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you
not to take on other people's
enemies. Most damage that
others do to us is out of
fear, humiliation and pain.
Those feelings occur in all
of us, not just in those of
us who profess a certain
religious or racial devotion.
We must learn actually not to
have enemies, but only confused
adversaries who are ourselves
in disguise. It is understood
by all that you are commander
in chief of the United States
and are sworn to protect our
beloved country; this we
understand, completely.
However, as my mother used to
say, quoting a Bible with
which I often fought,
"hate the sin, but love
the sinner." There must
be no more crushing of
whole communities,
no more torture, no
more dehumanizing as a
means of ruling a people's
spirit. This has already
happened to people of color,
poor people, women, children.
We see where this leads,
where it has led.
A good model of how to
"work with the enemy"
internally is presented by
the Dalai Lama, in his endless
caretaking of his soul as he
confronts the Chinese government
that invaded Tibet. Because,
finally, it is the
soul that must
be preserved, if one
is to remain a credible leader.
All else might be lost;
but when the soul dies,
the connection to earth,
to peoples, to animals,
to rivers, to mountain
ranges, purple and majestic,
also dies.
And your smile, with
which we watch you do
gracious battle with
unjust characterizations,
distortions and lies,
is that expression
of healthy self-worth,
spirit and soul, that,
kept happy and free
and relaxed, can
find an answering
smile in all of us,
lighting our way,
and brightening
the world..
We are the ones we have
been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker
