Inspiration to Action

Inspiration. How does one get to the point that you feel like actually doing the thing that you are thinking about. What does it take to move someone to actually take action.....to actually do instead of think, hope, wish.....what was it about Barack Obama that led to so many people into action....rather than just simply talk? Do you think it would be possible that Obama arose to be a superstar on his own, or was it the movement that surrounded him that launched him to the top? I think his ascendancy shows us one of the few times in history when a community comes around a leader to push forward something new. Was it his charismatic nature or was it the thousands of volunteers that he attracted to campaign to devote themselves - day and night....to quit their day jobs...that led to the win? Was it the community or was it him?

I would say that it was a little of both...a perfect medium of sorts. Think about the civil rights movement.....would it have been as successful without MLK, Jr? Would MLK, Jr. have been as successful without the civil rights movement? Would we have ended segregation without the battle of thousands of people just like you and I? What is to say that we cannot create our own sort of change today?

I feel that we have a unique opportunity right now. Our generation is witnessing the first time in our history that we can actually bring about a major shift in society....something comparable to the tumultous 60's and the late 30's during FDR. Do we have to accept things as they are? No, we don't. If you think about it, its the perfect time. Our economy just almost blew up in our faces due to poor regulation and overzealous bankers. Iraq has finally calmed down, thanks to our hundreds of millions of dollars, but at the expense of Afghanistan and many other countries. Israel looks poised to basically take over Gaza, and yet again, subject the Palestinians to another occupation. Detroit is on the verge of finally accepting there is such a thing as Climate Change and that perhaps if they had recognized it earlier they may not be requesting a bail-out from the taxpayer. And I'm hoping...that the taxpayer is slowly realizing, that our capitalist system, is not truly capitalist. Its actually turned socialist...but not for those that need it most, but for those that it serves...the people at the top of the ladder that make the system run...but at what cost?

Can any one person change this? No, of course not. Obama is not some sort of messiah...he's not the god-send as some would have it that will solve all the problems we as a nation have ever endured. But he is a voice. A voice of a new generation. Of a new America. And we must use it, we cannot let this chance go.

We have a unique opportunity....an opportunity to see things change as they never have. We have someone at the head of the government that came from community organizing. So if we are truly inspired...if we truly believe in the possiblity of change....if we truly have hope for progress...then we can take that inspiration and change it into action.