Standing together in a time of treason

Barack Obama at Mandela Day

full speech transcript can be read at NPR

OBAMA: I believe in Nelson Mandela’s vision. I believe in a vision shared by Gandhi and King and Abraham Lincoln.

I believe in a vision of equality and justice and freedom and multi-racial democracy. Built on the premise that all people are created equal and they are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. ⠀

And I believe that a world governed by such principles is possible. And I believe this not just based on sentiment. I believe it based on hard evidence. ⠀

The fact that the world’s most successful and prosperous societies — the ones with highest living standards; and the highest levels of satisfactions among their people — happen to be those which have most closely approximated the liberal, progressive ideal that we talk about.⠀

Hope inspires. One of Obama’s greatest talents is his ability to paint a picture that inspires hopes and reminds us of the best versions of ourselves.

The next phase of our constitutional crisis will require us as Americans to join together to defend our ideals and our country. America was attacked (as were other other countries) and it will be up to us — the everyday people — of this country to stand together in our ideals of liberty, justice & democracy for all. (If you are unfamiliar with the cyber attacks, the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on social media misinformation by foreign actors is a good place to start.)

As the details emerge of how the enemies of democracy utilized media (social and main stream) to intentionally amplify echo chambers and target individual voters with propaganda, we must remember the most basic of facts. We are all imperfectly human and thus worthy of dignity and respect. We all share the same desire to be seen, to be heard, and to provide for those we love.

Some people learned the details of this plan earlier than others. We must not hold that against those that are now awakening to the situation we find ourselves in. We must utilize our compassion and extend it generously towards each other as we awaken to how democracy can be subverted by manipulative opportunists. These attacks will not be where America's story ends.

Here’s what gives me hope. Every generation has the opportunity to remake the world.

Young people are capable (when aroused) of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom.

- Nelson Mandela

For the first time in a generation, we are getting an overflowing helping hand from lady justice. We can use that momentum to stand together for freedom and tear down the systems of oppression that enabled these characters to assemble power. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

‍