How Our New President Can Help Us Maintain Hope

There is absolutely no secret as to why the president-elect struck such a respondent chord with millions of Americans. Or why his victory reverberated within the hearts and minds of leaders and ordinary citizens around the world. It was obvious that not only were we losing hope, but it seemed much of the world was in the same boat. The presidential nominee’s stirring words and the promise of change spoke to the innermost desires of many freedom-loving people around the globe.

The challenges we face are the result of a retreat from basic values that our founding fathers held dear. We allowed greed and self-interest to grow wild and unchecked in our government, and in the institutions that were intended to benefit American citizens. Personal accountability is at an all-time low in our country, as are honesty, honor, integrity, respect and truth. Since we live in a democracy, the responsibility to pay attention is ours. We can’t afford to lose our focus again.

It is vital for us to remember that our government and the conditions in our nation simply reflect back to us the collective, predominant thoughts and actions of the citizenry. In order to have a better government, we must live to the highest and best ideals within us so that this is mirrored in our leaders, our government and institutions.

Bearing in mind that personal responsibility and accountability are major keys for all of us, here is what we will need from the new president and his administration to sustain our rekindled hope in the future:

First and foremost, he must prove to be a leader worthy of following.

This means holding firm to the values of truth, honor, integrity, honesty and respect that were prescribed by our founding fathers. He must unequivocally assure that our nation embraces the cause of human rights at all times and under all conditions.

We must have transparency in government, and the president must help all of us understand, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt did during another traumatic time, what our country is doing, why, and what we must be willing to sacrifice and do in order to support and help our country’s policies succeed.

Our leader must develop and follow a well-considered and sensible foreign policy that relies on diplomatic intervention and solutions, and comes from a point of cooperation instead of competition and intimidation. War is no longer acceptable as a substitute for conflict resolution.

Many people are aware that there are enough finances and material goods available to end world hunger and poverty. Ignoring these basic challenges only results in circumstances and situations that foment and encourage the continuation of world aggression and violence. There is a ready wellspring of intelligent and credible people who could help the incoming administration develop a plan and implement it.

Ending the torture and resolving the disaster represented by Guantanamo Bay would quickly herald a return to sanity and values in this country. This would go a long way toward undoing the damage to America’s reputation as a leader in human rights. It would also enhance and support the global goodwill and respect that is now being expressed and is so welcome.

We also expect the incoming president to make the best use of the brilliant minds of our time and meet the major challenges, which include: pulling us out of the economic downturn, resolving the situation in Iraq with honor on all sides, giving intense consideration to any commitment of additional troops in Afghanistan, making definitive and effective moves toward resolving global warming, ending our dependence on foreign oil and effectively passing humane and sane immigration reform.

As Americans, we have always been willing to make any sacrifice and shoulder any responsibility to work together for a return to stability and order in our nation. We have done it before and with renewed hope we can do it again.
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Copyright © 2008 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within – is available at Amazon.com, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.