Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama
Like Michael Jordan in the Eastern Conference Finals with 10 seconds left on the clock, the president sank the speech that would help shape his presidency for much of 2011.
Utilizing his opportunity to address the nation after the unfortunate shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Obama speech in Tucson, Ariz., was reflective of the decency that allows our president to transcend the pettiness of his adversaries: He stood his ground without fighting his enemies and reminded the country that "we can all do better."
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The president encouraged those listening to communicate "in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds." The Obama speech also conceded that there is no way to know who was responsible for the shooting that killed six and injured 13 others.
He did say, though, that our nation's polarized political conversation can be handled in a way that is respectful and productive:
"I believe we can be better," said Obama. "Those who died here, those who saved lives here -- they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."
The president shared personal notes about all of those who died in the shooting. He also stated that it is okay to engage in debates on gun control and the killer's reasons for shooting his victims. At the same time, he explained that the rhetoric need not be malicious in order to be meaningful:
"At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized, at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do, it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds."
The president also shocked the crowd by informing the audience that Giffords opened her eyes for the first time during his visit to the hospital.
The Obama speech also struck an emotional chord with the crowd by reflecting on 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, the only child who was killed that day. The president noted that Christina was the only girl on her little league team and wanted to become the first woman to compete in Major League Baseball. He also noted that she was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and that there was a picture of her in a book about 9/11 babies, where she is splashing in a rain puddle.
"I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it," Obama said. "If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today."
One of Obama's greatest political assets is himself.
When he addresses the public, he is able to influence and impress with his smooth rhetorical abilities and extraordinary charisma. While I am not interested in even beginning to compare President Obama with Martin Luther King Jr., he does share a sense of dignity in his presentation that reminds us of the great one. History will surely remember this man forever.
Watch President Obama in one of his greatest moments here:
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.