One Minute Twenty-Three Seconds
By Mohajer Ansari
Pasadena, CA
For the past 7-10 days, it has been raining steadily and in good measures in Southern California. On Tuesday, the sun finally came out in its full glory for the first time in a long time, kissed the mountain ranges in the vicinity, brightened the earth and perked the spirits: spirits lately subdued by the lockdown. That divine goodness was accentuated by a voice - calm, warm, reasoned, soothing and reassuring voice of a dear friend from the past.
On Tuesday, April 14, President Barack Obama endorsed his former vice president, Joe Biden, as Democratic Party’s presumed 2020 presidential candidate of the United States. He spoke for one minute twenty-three seconds. For many of us - even so brief a span - appeared to freeze the chronometer to a standstill. The timing was perfect and the narrative was blissfully uplifting.
President Obama schooled us on the ageless merits of knowledge, experience, honesty, humility, empathy and grace in the face of a pandemic that the entire world is suffering from.
As I listened to his measured, focused and eloquent yet forceful endorsement, I was teleported to the time culminating in his meteoritic ascension to the highest seat on the planet in 2008.
It was February of 2008, before the primaries. It was truly inspiring and invigorating to see the then presidential candidate Barack Obama in person. My wife and our two young daughters were simply exhilarated to be there in the audience. He reminded us of a man who illuminates a room as soon he enters it. The audience hung onto each and every word he said. On that Sunday, it was a 10,000 attendee-strong arena swathed in the light of hope. We later learned that there were about 5,000 more who couldn’t get in and braved the chilly and breezy afternoon in the open. He didn’t disappoint them; in his hallmark style, upon his arrival, he addressed them first before entering the main hall.
That time, some had said Mr Obama was not black enough. They were right. Even to this very day, he carries a hue of late John F. Kennedy - the most loved, revered and enigmatic president of the past 100 years! Yet, because in his humility and grace, he unmistakably wears the mantle of Dr King, he is not white enough either. Yet, he was elected twice to the White House as the first black president of the United States. His contagious passion tore through the flimsy boundaries of race, color and ethnicity, making him the most admired person in the world in recent history.
With the rise of a person of mixed heritage like Barack Obama to the ultimate zenith eight years ago, the true meaning of emancipation had dawned on the free America.
O nly if we the people could strive to blur the line between White America and Black America, between White America and Hispanic America, between White America and Brown America, between White America and Native America, and only if we could rise above the pervasive and ever-rising xenophobia, our children and theirs might still have a future.
In a letter to his daughters, Senator Obama explained why he wanted to be the president of the US:
“I entered the race for the White House because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.”
And what a great adventure, that was! The letter captures his yearning for the highest office succinctly; in fact, it puts words in the mind, heart and mouth of every father in fair America who would like to, and should be able to say to his children.
Trust me,I’ve been desperately searching for the slightest sliver of such motivational wisdom from a lawmaker in the country – Congressman to Senator to Mayor – who in President Obama’s words, is someone morally, intellectually and temperamentally fit to govern.
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