Audacity means: “boldness or daring, with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions…effrontery or insolence; shameless boldness…” The concept gained attention in a book authored by the current U.S. President entitled, The Audacity of Hope. In an October 2006 Book Review by the NY Times, the following is observed: “The Audacity of Hope…is…a political document…Mr. Obama…rejects what he sees as the either-or formulations of his elders who came of age in the 60’s. The victories that the 60’s generation brought about - the admission of minorities and women into full citizenship, the strengthening of individual liberties and the healthy willingness to question authority - have made America a far better place for all its citizens. But what has been lost in the process, and has yet to be replaced, are those shared assumptions - that quality of trust and fellow feeling - that bring us together as Americans…Mr. Obama writes that conservatives and Bill Clinton were right about welfare as it was previously structured: By detaching income from work and by making no demands on welfare recipients other than a tolerance for intrusive bureaucracy and an assurance that no man lived in the same house as the mother of his children, the old A.F.D.C. (Aid To Families With Dependent Children) program sapped people of their initiative and eroded their self respect…Mr. Obama strives in these pages to ground his policy thinking in simple common sense — be it growing the size of our armed forces to maintain reasonable rotation schedules or reining in spending and rethinking tax policy to bring down the nation’s huge deficit…”
In July 2009, a news item appeared - The Audacity Of Honduras with a sub-title, As The OAS Stumbles, Give Diplomacy A Chance. The subject is the ouster of the President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras. “On Sunday, July 5, Honduran authorities rejected the ultimatum issued by the Organization of American States (OAS) to reinstate ousted president Manuel Zelaya…The international community is so fixated on the car wreck that they have failed to notice that Hondurans have put their own legal house in order. Although the duty fell to the military to enforce a court order against Zelaya, no soldier ever held power. The duly constituted Congress--about half of whose members are from Zelaya's own Liberal Party--reviewed Zelaya's crimes and voted almost unanimously to remove him from office…While Honduran authorities have opened an inquiry into Zelaya's treatment, the Supreme Court has held its position that the military acted properly. Zelaya has been indicted on many crimes--including treason--and some of his associates with ties to corruption and drug trafficking are finally facing justice.
This week, the idea of American Audacity appeared in a column: Liberals urge Obama to do more on Honduras By Mike Soraghan. “A group of liberal lawmakers urged President Obama to do more to reverse the coup in Honduras, such as freezing the assets of those involved, and denying them entry into the United States. We are … increasingly concerned by the many reports of flagrant human rights violations that are being committed under the current de facto regime," said a letter to the president, which was signed by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and 16 fellow members of the caucus…President Obama has repeatedly called for Zelaya's return to power, but the President also said Latin American critics calling on him to do more are hypocritical…those criticizing the U.S. for not intervening enough are the same people who say, ‘Yankees, go home.’ You can't have it both ways…”
Psalm 2 asks a question: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” The reason given by this Psalm is that nations and rulers “…set themselves and take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed…” In other words, all restraints and all sound values have been diminished and jettisoned. The result is an increase of chaos in the world of men and in individual lives. Will nations and lives naturally become better? No! The Psalm states: “…He (The Lord) shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure…” It appears our nation has succumbed to ‘The Audacity of Hype’ and forgotten the possibilities of Biblical Hope. The only remedy is yielding to the Authority and Control of God. Consider these things with me.
In July 2009, a news item appeared - The Audacity Of Honduras with a sub-title, As The OAS Stumbles, Give Diplomacy A Chance. The subject is the ouster of the President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras. “On Sunday, July 5, Honduran authorities rejected the ultimatum issued by the Organization of American States (OAS) to reinstate ousted president Manuel Zelaya…The international community is so fixated on the car wreck that they have failed to notice that Hondurans have put their own legal house in order. Although the duty fell to the military to enforce a court order against Zelaya, no soldier ever held power. The duly constituted Congress--about half of whose members are from Zelaya's own Liberal Party--reviewed Zelaya's crimes and voted almost unanimously to remove him from office…While Honduran authorities have opened an inquiry into Zelaya's treatment, the Supreme Court has held its position that the military acted properly. Zelaya has been indicted on many crimes--including treason--and some of his associates with ties to corruption and drug trafficking are finally facing justice.
This week, the idea of American Audacity appeared in a column: Liberals urge Obama to do more on Honduras By Mike Soraghan. “A group of liberal lawmakers urged President Obama to do more to reverse the coup in Honduras, such as freezing the assets of those involved, and denying them entry into the United States. We are … increasingly concerned by the many reports of flagrant human rights violations that are being committed under the current de facto regime," said a letter to the president, which was signed by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and 16 fellow members of the caucus…President Obama has repeatedly called for Zelaya's return to power, but the President also said Latin American critics calling on him to do more are hypocritical…those criticizing the U.S. for not intervening enough are the same people who say, ‘Yankees, go home.’ You can't have it both ways…”
Psalm 2 asks a question: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” The reason given by this Psalm is that nations and rulers “…set themselves and take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed…” In other words, all restraints and all sound values have been diminished and jettisoned. The result is an increase of chaos in the world of men and in individual lives. Will nations and lives naturally become better? No! The Psalm states: “…He (The Lord) shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure…” It appears our nation has succumbed to ‘The Audacity of Hype’ and forgotten the possibilities of Biblical Hope. The only remedy is yielding to the Authority and Control of God. Consider these things with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment