Thursday, November 06, 2008

FOR ALL

This is the text of a letter from Nelson Mandela (the best politician EVER ANYWHERE!) to Barack Obama (keeping my fingers crossed.)

Dear Senator Obama,

We join people in your country and around the world in congratulating you on becoming the President-Elect of the United States. Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.

We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your Presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere.

We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead. We are sure you will ultimately achieve your dream making the United States of America a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all.

Sincerely,

N R Mandela


Reading this, I thought back to when the Apartheid regime let Mandela out of jail in 1990. Now they started working on the constitution of the Rainbow Nation of South Africa. Mandela said equality must be there for ALL. Blacks, whites, coloureds, indians, gays, straights, Zulu, Swazi... you get the idea ALL.

We in America have something that our children say everday for the first 12 years of their educational lives. It goes something like this.

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, for liberty and justice for all."

Most people fight for the under God or the indivisible to be struck away. I'm just never going to say it again until I can say it and not feel like a liar. If there is one thing my church has taught me it is to not lie and to love thy neighbor.

All those people out there who appose gay rights, do you appose my rights?

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