Obama's Oslo Speech

Follow the link for this inspiring 37 minute speech. How fortunate we are to have such an intelligent president who speaks with rare wisdom. In this Nobel acceptance speech, Obama speaks to the fundamental problem of reconciling our opposite human natures; violent and peaceful, greedy and generous, full of fear yet possessing a courageous determination to reach for ..

"... the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. "

In the final stirring moments, Obama makes the following remarks which inspire us to work for this vision.

"Somewhere today, in the here and now,
in the world as it is,
a soldier sees he's outgunned,
but stands firm to keep the peace.

Somewhere today,
in this world,
a young protestor
awaits the brutality of her government,
but has the courage to march on.

Somewhere today,
a mother facing punishing poverty
still takes the time to teach her child,
scrapes together what few coins she has
to send that child to school --
because she believes
that a cruel world
still has a place for that child's dreams.

Let us live by their example.
We can acknowledge that oppression
will always be with us,
and still strive for justice.

We can admit the intractability of depravation,
and still strive for dignity.
Clear-eyed,
we can understand that there will be war,
and still strive for peace.

We can do that --
for that is the story of human progress;
that's the hope of all the world;
and at this moment of challenge,
that must be our work here on Earth."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3uU_mCNcKM