Photo Taken: O’Hare Airport August 31, 2008
I had promised myself I would only post cross cultural comments and avoid political commentary on this blog. Alas, I am human.
Obviously, I had not predicted the impact August 2008 would have on the electoral process. How could I have foreseen that the Democratic National Convention and subsequent events would have generated such profound emotional reactions, from around the world, ranging from the euphoric to the sublime?
I decided to wear my Barack Obama t-shirt on the way back from Chicago to Miami.
In the Chicago and Miami airports, I enjoyed all the connections I made with people who smiled, waved, “high-fived”, and had meaningful conversations with me about how our country is in crises and needs a leader committed to solutions.
Ironically, the gentleman who graciously took my photo told me he was Republican and I flew next to an evangelical Christian missionary from a small farming town in Missouri. He told me he fears terrorists and feels Obama could not have handled terrorists in 2001. He believes Mayor Palin of an Alaska town can protect us. I told him I am not motivated by fear: I am not afraid. Fear is often used effectively to influence others’ behavior. I encouraged him to pray for God to remove his fear and replace it with love. We always make bad decisions when we are fearful. I told him Barack loves our country, wants what is best, selected a VP candidate who could run the country in his absence, and chose a running mate who can advise him on everything from foreign affaires to economics. He seemed open to my opinion. There is always hope..........
I had promised myself I would only post cross cultural comments and avoid political commentary on this blog. Alas, I am human.
Obviously, I had not predicted the impact August 2008 would have on the electoral process. How could I have foreseen that the Democratic National Convention and subsequent events would have generated such profound emotional reactions, from around the world, ranging from the euphoric to the sublime?
I decided to wear my Barack Obama t-shirt on the way back from Chicago to Miami.
In the Chicago and Miami airports, I enjoyed all the connections I made with people who smiled, waved, “high-fived”, and had meaningful conversations with me about how our country is in crises and needs a leader committed to solutions.
Ironically, the gentleman who graciously took my photo told me he was Republican and I flew next to an evangelical Christian missionary from a small farming town in Missouri. He told me he fears terrorists and feels Obama could not have handled terrorists in 2001. He believes Mayor Palin of an Alaska town can protect us. I told him I am not motivated by fear: I am not afraid. Fear is often used effectively to influence others’ behavior. I encouraged him to pray for God to remove his fear and replace it with love. We always make bad decisions when we are fearful. I told him Barack loves our country, wants what is best, selected a VP candidate who could run the country in his absence, and chose a running mate who can advise him on everything from foreign affaires to economics. He seemed open to my opinion. There is always hope..........
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