So here's the news ... in case you missed it like I did because you were on a plane to Chicago ...
... or whatever.
It's the seven minute segment from this morning's "Meet the Press" and I think it's worth listening to the whole thing ... not only because of the punchline but because of Powell's thoughtful analysis of what we need to move forward as ONE nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the propostion that ALL are created equal.
And now, on to the work that brought me to Chicago: two days of meetings with "the Chicago Consultation" looking ahead to General Convention 2009 and beyond -- striving to make this a CHURCH where respecting the dignity of every human being are not just words we say in church on baptismal Sundays but values we live out 24/7.
More to come on that ... but for the moment, thanks to Colin Powell for his work and witness to this nation in this time of choice and challenge. And prayers invited for OUR work and witness as we gather at Seabury Western Theological Seminary and continue this work we have been called to do.
9 comments:
Dear Rev. Russell:
So Colin Powell endoreses a senator who once severely criticized him for his part in the War in Iraq.
The Democrat vice-presidential candidate in 2000 is supporting the Republican ticket this year.
It's the Republicans and not the Democrats who put a woman on the ticket.
The bedfellows get stranger and stranger as this election goes on.
A sinner saved by God's Grace
Jim of Michigan
General Colin Powell, in 1993, went before the U.S. Congress Joint Armed Service Committee to voice his firm opposition to the inclusion of gay persons from serving in the military. Powell was venerated as a hero from the then recent First Gulf War. Ordinary citizens and elected leaders listened closely to his opinions. I was a gay man serving in the American military that year and Powell's words to Congress really hurt me and in some ways made things more difficult for me. Powell's anti-gay words created a more hostile and dangerous environment for gay troops. Powell was regularly quoted by some very hostile and homophobic people to bolster their anti-gay message. People and their opinions do change, evolve, and grow over time. I hope that Sec'y Powell's vision of inclusion in America has grown to include gay folks.
The Sec of State that made the case in front of the UN that we needed to go to war in Iraq - has credibility on this page????
Yep ... all of those things are true.
AND ... what Colin Powell said this morning on "Meet the Press" made me proud to be an Amercian.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
What a microcosm of how much work there is to do to bridge the gap between the issues that challenge us and threaten to divide us!
Of COURSE I can find value in what Powell has to say today ... and challenge him TOMORROW if I disagree with his position on the war. Or LGBT inclusion. Or the price of tea in China.
What happened to being a nation where there was room to disagree about any number of things but, at the end of the day, come together about the core values that matter most: liberty and justice???
If we lose the ability to appreciate the patriotism of an American from a different party than ours -- or to applaud their stand on one issue because we disagree with them on another -- then the challenge to our democracy isn't "the terrorists" or "the ecnonomy" but our own bullheaded unilateralism and exceptionalism.
Let Sarah Palin decide which Americans are the "real" ones.
For my money ... today ... Colin Powell stood up and said exactly what we needed to hear.
And I say ... and will continue to say ... BRAVO!
Dear Rev. Russell:
It has never been truer: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
I still respect Colin Powell, loved his book, but the matter remains, we love those who agree with us, even when it is fleeting.
In our desperation to rid the country of George Bush, we're turning it over to someone with barely any experience. Be careful what you wish for.
And how many promises will Barack Obama have to break as he moved to the center to move back to those on the far left who support him for the issues (gay marriage, getting out of Iraq, not drilling offshore) that he really believes in.
One party rule (such as the Republicans had in the early 2000s) is always a recipe for disaster. And that's what we're headed for now.
Socialism may be the great leveler, but it levels by bringing everyone down, rather than everyone up.
As a senior citizen, I feel for my children and grandchildren who will be working for the rest of their lives to pay for those who don't or won't. (Not to mention paying for my social security).
They are already going to pay for the banking excesses and the excesses in a reckless foreign policy.
How I wish a Libertarian could just for four years run this country. But the only folks who get any coverage are the two main parties and they are joined at the hip, even if they act like they aren't.
A sinner saved by God's Grace
Jim of Michigan
I like Mother Russell's follow-up to our comments. Of all people, Christians should be most hopeful about redemption, change, and moral development in other people. We shouldn't give up on people because of their past mistakes (even if they have caused us hurt). I am making no assumptions about Sec'y Powell's inner life. But I will agree to take his inclusive, Obama endorsement comments (on 'Meet The Press') at face value. My outlook has changed since 1993. So perhaps I shouldn't leave Colin Powell locked up in his moral universe of 15 years ago. Susan, thanks for being hopeful.
Quite frankly, I can't think of a better way to ensure repeal of DADT (it's law and has to be repealed by Congress; the President can't do it by executive order) than to have SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Colin Powell pushing for it.
"If we lose the ability to appreciate the patriotism of an American from a different party than ours -- or to applaud their stand on one issue because we disagree with them on another -- then the challenge to our democracy isn't "the terrorists" or "the ecnonomy" but our own bullheaded unilateralism and exceptionalism."
I agree with you, Susan. I have liked Powell despite his stand on gays in the military because he has always stood for a kind of blatant integrity that we needed in DC. I also appreciate that he could no longer support the rabid reactionary stance the Republicans have taken. I am glad to see that he is supporting Obama because Obama is the kind of person we need NOW.
At one time I felt that McCain had that kind of integrity about 10 years ago but he fallen off that train by attaching himself to the right-wing agenda.
But what I admire about Powell is his willingness to not be a political animal--to stand firm on what he deems right. Few from the military can do that these days and damned few of the general/admiral rank.
I met Gen. Powell some during the elder Bush administration. He is a charismatic man is such a quiet way. You are willing to believe that you CAN disagree with him without danger. Rare in the military.
I hold great respect for Powell, and at the same time, deep regret and criticism for his role in the Iraq attack/occupation.
But what we are hearing here is not his past but his thinking on the future.
THAT point is important to remember.
We all move into the future based on our past.
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