“Something wonderful is happening.
As you know I was a serious supporter- sincere supporter -of Senator Clinton. I meant for her to go all the way. And I went all the way with her. I knew that she is very intelligent…She is very dedicated and a hard worker.
I said when she left, she left 18 million scratches on the glass ceiling.
And I thought – you know what we need, really, is someone to break that ceiling down.
Senator Barack Obama is that person.
His campaign has sparked something in all of us – all of us. All Americans. I believe in the sincere, most deep heart of all Americans – each American – each of us wants to belong to a great country…
Each of us belongs to a great country–we just need to make it greater. That’s all.”
Maya Angelou
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Emphasis mine
7 comments
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September 22, 2008 at 2:28 am
renaissanceguy
So the logic here is that Barack Obama has the power to make our country greater. That’s debatable.
Maya Angelou is a phenomenal poet. I also consider her a wise woman. However, I don’t agree with her assessment of Obama or with her apparent lack of knowledge about economics.
September 22, 2008 at 10:48 am
helenl
Hi RG, Somehow I didn’t think this would impress you.
September 24, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Pris
All I know is I don’t want the Republicans in next term and I don’t want Palin one heartbeat away from the Presidency.
September 24, 2008 at 1:53 pm
helenl
Hi Pris, I agree. Why is it all the poets seem to “get it”?
September 26, 2008 at 5:10 am
renaissanceguy
Helen, I hope I don’t offend you, but I want to say that poets tend to “feel” rather than “think.” Obama makes people feel good. His speeches even make me feel good. They are inspiring. They are hopeful. They sound like all the things that would make our world a perfect place. The image I get when I hear Obama speak is all of us sitting around holding hands and singing about peace and harmony. We’ll have all our needs taken care of. Then. . .
Reality breaks in. How will it be paid for? Who is going to pay for it? What will it do to the value of the dollar? Will it create more jobs by stimulating the economy or cause a loss of jobs by stifling the economy? Will it be helpful in the long run or just in the short run? Does it strengthen families and communities, or does it weaken them by making them perpetual wards of the state? It’s called analysis. It’s called thought.
September 26, 2008 at 5:16 am
renaissanceguy
I’m not sure why I wrote the part about feeling as opposed to thinking. That’s not what I meant at all. Poets do think hard about things as well as feel deeply.
Poets think differently than other people. I cannot really explain that, but I believe that it is so. It has something to do with the difference between the concrete and the abstract or between hard data and ideals. They have more of a prophetic than administrative view of the world, I think.
Maybe I’m just a big idiot, after all!
September 26, 2008 at 11:38 am
helenl
Hi RG, Glad you realize poets do think. Feeling is a way of knowing that’s educated out of many of us. Poetry deals with concrete images (the right image which has to be chosen and made) to evoke appropriate feeling. I think you are right about poets being prophetic. “Prophetic” means there is action we must take to avoid certain consequences.
Admitting that we love our country – that “it is great,” but we want to make it “greater” – can surely mean we want a better economy and situations that are better for families. Yes, people need jobs. Hasn’t Obama said that? No one wants anyone to be “a perpetual ward of the state.” And, although you didn’t bring it up, no one wants more abortions than we have now.
I don’t think you’re a big idiot. But I do think “reality” is man-made. And what man has made, he can un-make. God will provide enough for us all, if we just cooperate with Him and treat everyone right. God created “peace and harmony” and sent His son to restore the breach that Humans made. God wants people to live in peace with Him and each other.