Shuck and Jive


Friday, November 07, 2008

Doug King of Witherspoon on the Election

Doug King, webweaver at Witherspoon wrote a thoughtful piece, "After the election...What is our calling?"
Last night, just after CNN projected Barack Obama as the winner of the election, the apartment next to ours erupted in whoops and shouts and general delight as the African American family there celebrated. It was good to hear. And to see people like Colin Powell and Jesse Jackson weep with joy, even as millions of the rest of us have too, tells me something really big has happened.

No big surprise there, I know. But then the question is – as Obama reminded the joyous crowd last night – what do we do now? The American people, with the brilliant help of one of our own sons, have opened the door into a new future. Hopes that many of us have held for decades now begin to look like possibilities.

Early in his election-night speech, Obama expressed thanks to his campaign staff, then added: “... above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.”
Doug goes on to say:
Those who yearn for justice and for peace must now shift gears from the easy satisfaction of resenting injustice and war. We need to put our nice ideas into proposals and programs and practices that will move us from yearnings to actions.

Obama offered one step toward that process of transforming our society, when he did what he has done since his campaign began: using “we” language instead of “I” language. Some may see that as nothing but a nice rhetorical device, and it may amount to nothing more unless millions of Americans begin to make it a reality. And certainly our faith, and the way of life taught by Jesus, should help us to do just that.
Thanks Doug. Do read his entire post.


5 comments:

  1. I read that, and then scrolled down to read the latest from Gagnon. Is it me or is he sounding crazier and crazier? His language is like something from Family Radio or some other ends times conspiracy nut.

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  2. He is a piece of work all right. Typical Princeton grad : )

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  3. Thoughtful, yes. Also mildly confused.

    "what do we do now?"

    I've seen this mantra in lots of new posts.
    What do we do now??
    We attempt to fix eight years of absolute brain-dead and corrupt leadership. We move away from Fascism and back toward Democratic Socialism where we are supposed to be.

    We also be wise enough to realize that all too many people on the McBush side of the equation do NOT want this "common ground" everybody is squawking about.
    Common ground with who? Obama and the Democratic party won a landslide victory. We have "common ground" with those we need to have it with already. That's what the election results prove.

    The Right Wing DOES NOT WANT common anything. They want to rule while we suffer. I have no problem putting them through eight years of what they put us through.

    Those of all political persuasion saw the light and moved to it. Those who choose to remain in darkness can have it with my blessing.


    God has given America a real leader of the people. If some feel "left behind", that's just too bad.
    Somebody has to suffer. Let it be those who are deserving for once.

    The new way is here. Go with it or get out of the way.
    Hopefully we will never revisit the past again.

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  4. I read the Gagnon piece and my first thought was "What the hell is he on?"

    That guy is a raving lunatic. And there are people in the Church the look up to him?

    OMG!

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  5. Gagnon is the hero of the homophobic in the PCUSA. Everyone needs a hero.

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