| Prestigious award not as prestigious anymore |
 |
 |
 |
| Local Content - Editorial |
| Written by Administrator |
| Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:11 |
|
On Thursday, last week, the announcement was made as to the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Shock of all shocks, the award this year is being presented to United States President Barack Obama. Within minutes of the announcement talk-radio shows and internet chatter was filled with stunned observers who were all asking the same question. For what? The answer: Nothing. He’s made some good speeches about what he plans to do but so far he hasn’t done anything. He’s only been in office for nine months and, according to one host of a radio show, the nomination would have been sent in when Obama had been in office 10 days. Ten days! How many leaders can make a contribution to the cause of peace in the world in 10 months let alone in 10 days. The Nobel committee has really outdone itself this time. It was more than a little crazy when it awarded the Peace Prize to Al Gore for a movie about global warming that was full of inaccuracies. What was even more outrageous was the fact Al Gore won over a woman named Irena Sendler. Obviously the question begs: Who is Irena Sendler? Irena Sendler lived in Poland during World War II. She was a social welfare worker who could enter the Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews were forced to live, to check for typhus. She worked with a resistance group called Zegota which was formed to aid the Jews. Sendler would sneak Jewish children out of the ghetto and place them with Polish families, in orphanages or in Roman Catholic convents to protect them from the Nazis. With the help of other resistance members she helped save 2,500 Jewish children. The Nazis eventually caught her, tortured her and sentenced her to death but Zegota was able to rescue her by bribing the German guards. When one considers all that Sendler went through in the name of peace, including risking her life to save Jewish children from the Nazis, it’s hard to believe she deserved the Nobel Peace Prize less than Gore. While he was an odd choice, Obama is an even more strange choice. Yes, he has made some good speeches about plans that could be considered helping the cause of peace but he has not actually done anything yet. Obama is a good speaker. During his run for the presidency, interviews with people who attended his campaign speeches found they thought he was a wonderful speaker. People talked about how charismatic Obama was, how he could really energize a crowd with his speeches and how wonderful this made him. Such comments hearken back to thoughts of high school social studies. Many a foreign leader has been able to lead their people into economic and social ruin based on the fact they are a good leader, not on what they are actually leading their country to be. Selecting Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize, calls into question the actual merit of the award. In 1989 the Nobel committee presented that year’s award to the 14th Dalai Lama, a year later the award went to Mikhail Gorbachev. Over the past two decades there have been some obviously worthy recipients such as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 2002, a man who has spent his post-White House years fostering world peace. Unfortunately too many of the recent award winners seem to be chosen for political rather than social reasons. |
Please Login
More Story Headlines
| Barley looking for boost in new marketplace With marketing freedom now achieved for Western Canadian barley growers, creating robust marketing s [ ... ] |
| Winter Walk Day goes Feb. 8 Thousands of Albertans will be stepping out on Feb. 8 to help maintain a healthy, active lifestyle a [ ... ] |
| Ministers grilled on various topics by public as budget nears Topics were flying fast and furious last week as Luigi’s played host to a question-and-answer peri [ ... ] |
| Strong opposition vital for democracy Local constituency organizations province-wide have been choosing new candidates to represent their [ ... ] |