Yesterday, I, like millions of other Americans watched Michelle Obama’s remarkable speech. Her subject was the the boasts, taunts and put downs offered up by the Republican candidate for president in 2016. Most specifically those aimed at women. She spoke as a woman, an American and a decent human being. Her purpose was to emphatically declare that Trump’s cruel and boorish behavior is not within the bounds of acceptable conduct for any citizen, let alone one who seeks the country’s highest office. She was not the first to draw this line, but none have done it with more authority and clarity. At a crucial hour in our nation’s history, as we struggled to preserve the expectations of mutual respect and common decency in which the roots of our democracy are planted, it was this remarkable woman who grew up in a working class neighborhood of Chicago who will be remembered as the one said once and for all, “Enough is enough!”
This was a quintessential American moment. Not remarkable because it is a first in our nation’s history, but because it validates a unique bet our nation made when it was founded. It is further proof that among a nation’s citizens, at all levels of society are people who can make great contributions to the commonweal, if they are given an opportunity. That’s why we pioneered public schools for all. Worked to extend the franchise to all. And in our founding document proclaimed for an incredulous world to see, our belief that all mankind is created equal.
This by the way is a belief Donald Trump does not share. Speaking on the subject of electing leaders from humble beginnings Trump has said, “My entire life, I've watched politicians bragging about how poor they are, how they came from nothing, how poor their parents and grandparents were. And I said to myself, if they can stay so poor for so many generations, maybe this isn't the kind of person we want to be electing to higher office. How smart can they be? They're morons.”
In fairness to Trump his view was the prevailing world view at the time our nation was formed and is still undoubtable shared today by many in America’s privileged classes. But any objective view of our country’s progress disproves this a million times over. Most of our great inventors, our great authors, our builders and military leaders have sprung from the common clay. No exclusively of course. For every Eisenhower there is a George Patton and for every Henry Ford a Howard Hughes. This simply validates our creed that greatness will flourish anywhere in a society that gives equal opportunity to all.
Abraham Lincoln is the most powerful example. The greatest writer of all our Presidents, self educated in the back woods of Kentucky. A war leader still revered a hundred and fifty years later around the world as a gentle man of peace. A man whose qualities of leadership are unmatched by the any English monarch since Alfred the Great put on his crown in 871.
Now with an ironic twist that history often reserves for itself, it is a woman whose family tree was for ever altered by Lincoln who has stepped forward. It is the 5th generation descendant of a humble slave who reminds us of the requirements of common human decency. Yesterday this black woman spoke for all the guardians of civilization. Yesterday Michelle was our teacher from long ago, our scoutmaster, our minister, priest or rabbi. Mostly she was a million moms. I suspect there are not many of us who listened to this remarkable woman speak yesterday and did not hear echoes of our own mother. “As long as you are in my house you will treat your brothers and sisters, and your father with respect. And when you’re outside this home I expect you will always be a gentleman and never shame this family. Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
God bless you Mrs. Obama. I wish my mom had lived to see you. She loved a woman with gumption.
This was a quintessential American moment. Not remarkable because it is a first in our nation’s history, but because it validates a unique bet our nation made when it was founded. It is further proof that among a nation’s citizens, at all levels of society are people who can make great contributions to the commonweal, if they are given an opportunity. That’s why we pioneered public schools for all. Worked to extend the franchise to all. And in our founding document proclaimed for an incredulous world to see, our belief that all mankind is created equal.
This by the way is a belief Donald Trump does not share. Speaking on the subject of electing leaders from humble beginnings Trump has said, “My entire life, I've watched politicians bragging about how poor they are, how they came from nothing, how poor their parents and grandparents were. And I said to myself, if they can stay so poor for so many generations, maybe this isn't the kind of person we want to be electing to higher office. How smart can they be? They're morons.”
In fairness to Trump his view was the prevailing world view at the time our nation was formed and is still undoubtable shared today by many in America’s privileged classes. But any objective view of our country’s progress disproves this a million times over. Most of our great inventors, our great authors, our builders and military leaders have sprung from the common clay. No exclusively of course. For every Eisenhower there is a George Patton and for every Henry Ford a Howard Hughes. This simply validates our creed that greatness will flourish anywhere in a society that gives equal opportunity to all.
Abraham Lincoln is the most powerful example. The greatest writer of all our Presidents, self educated in the back woods of Kentucky. A war leader still revered a hundred and fifty years later around the world as a gentle man of peace. A man whose qualities of leadership are unmatched by the any English monarch since Alfred the Great put on his crown in 871.
Now with an ironic twist that history often reserves for itself, it is a woman whose family tree was for ever altered by Lincoln who has stepped forward. It is the 5th generation descendant of a humble slave who reminds us of the requirements of common human decency. Yesterday this black woman spoke for all the guardians of civilization. Yesterday Michelle was our teacher from long ago, our scoutmaster, our minister, priest or rabbi. Mostly she was a million moms. I suspect there are not many of us who listened to this remarkable woman speak yesterday and did not hear echoes of our own mother. “As long as you are in my house you will treat your brothers and sisters, and your father with respect. And when you’re outside this home I expect you will always be a gentleman and never shame this family. Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
God bless you Mrs. Obama. I wish my mom had lived to see you. She loved a woman with gumption.