The week has seen the suffering of Boston and of West, linked by terrorism and the material of terrorism, and terrorism again in the form of ricin-laced letters being sent to leading politicians; the year has seen the Sandy Creek shootings, Hurricane Sandy and the Aurora killings: it all seems very unfair, doesn't it? Americans have been tested, and from my point of observation the communities have been magnificent in their response, but politicians have not always fulfilled their promises as the homeless and destitute on the East Coast await long-promised aid still, and gun control measures are blocked by Senators in Congress.
The months to come will be sad and difficult for the many who are the victims, directly or indirectly, of all this violence however it was caused, but the major challenge will be for President Obama who simultaneously must comfort and reassure, and show leadership in and control of the different situations confronting his people. For a leader who is unpopular and who can seem remote as well as weak, it is an opportunity to prove himself but also has the potential to expose his flaws and weaknesses, making America even more divided than it is already.
Wisdom and truth will be key: if he makes false promises and misleads for personal or political gain, it will be uncovered and it will not go well for him, but if he works to heal his country with calm focus and clarity and always for the highest good, much can be achieved. Meanwhile the world remembers the innocent who have been so badly hurt twice this week in two American communities - and, perhaps, the many others in Syria and Iraq and in other places of conflict, also innocent and who die terribly, daily.
Claire Montanaro is a spiritual teacher, channel and blogger with special interest in esoteric philosophy and the world in transition. Loves nature and wildlife. Author of “Spiritual Wisdom”.]]>
The name of the elementary school is Sandy Hook, not Sandy Creek, Claire.
The perception of weakness is not entirely justified, in my opinion. President Obama has deployed military assets to the Persian Gulf in order to deal with Iran, authorised the use of deadly force with Somali pirates on at least one occasion and has, through the Department of Justice, sought to uphold civil rights legislation in the face of some very significant threats. Moreover, early in his first term, he helped save the U.S. auto industry by using the federal bankruptcy courts to take Chrysler and General Motors into administration in a controlled manner. These are not acts of a 'weak' President.
Mr. Obama is a constitutional lawyer and, as such, seeks to address problems more based upon facts than anything else. Having previously met him personally when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, I know he is charismatic. I also don't envy him the problems he has to deal with on a daily basis. He is definitely a far cry from his predecessor, George W. Bush, who, for instance, took the United States into war under false pretenses (as, for instance, specified in the Downing Street Memos: http://downingstreetmemo.com/memos.html) and allowed a federal regulator (the now-defunct Office of Thrift Supervision, with whom I have had dealings) to be corrupted by G.E. Money Bank, for instance.
President Obama may appear aloof from afar, but his heart is in the right place. It just happens that change for the better after the stolen presidential election in 2000 is going to be a rough ride for quite some time.