You win some. You lose some.
Last week I discussed the glee the opposition party had over the United States' losing Olympics bid. This week it's winning that has people all riled up.
You would think based on the reaction of some of my friends that winning the Nobel Peace Prize was some sort of joke.
Facebook was atwitter with commentary from the left and right about the honor. A few of my favorites are below:
- “This just in - The 2009 Pulitzer Prize has just been awarded to Barack Obama in the Fiction category. Although Obama does not plan to write the book until 2017, the prize committee felt that Obama's "intention" to write a book was sufficient enough grounds to award him the prize.” - G. A.
- “Obama gets Nobel Prize...I did just as much as he has in terms of earning that hardware.” - T. G.
- “I think Obama clearly deserves an ESPY award too. Let's face it. He threw the opening pitch in Chicago.” - N. L.
Clearly the thought was that the president had done nothing to deserve the honor bestowed upon him by the Nobel committee. And to be completely honest, I'm not so sure he has.
Let's face it, we're still at war in Iraq. Still at war in Afghanistan. Guantanamo Bay has a date for pending closure of January 22, 2010d, a full year after Obama took office ... and the attorney general says there's no way we'll meet that date.
So I'm found wondering to myself: Where's the peace? I mean this is the Nobel Peace Prize, is it not?
The committee said that they were awarding Obama for giving people hope for the possibility of peace. Specifically, “"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
Honestly, I think the committee awarded him for not being George W. Bush. I mean, Hitler would have worn the prize if he were the first American president following W. Some would say he is, of course.
Whether the president deserves the honor or not, however, he has had it bestowed upon him. Along with the $1.4 million that goes along with it.
Since the president himself said he doesn't feel he deserves the award, I would hope he would take the prize money and devote it to a cause of peace.
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Thanks to the woman who emailed me last week, by the way. She said she had waited her whole life to respond to a column ... and she chose mine. Of course, she hated it, but ... you win some. You lose some.
