· Home  ·  Features   ·  Creative  Writing    ·   Connections    ·   Letters     ·   Events   ·    Join Red Skies     ·   Submissions

Obama wins prize, but why?

Is the Peace Prize politically powered?

By: Tashima Gallant

President Barack Obama is to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize... and I am livid. I am convinced that the sole reason for the nomination is to provide my right-winged friends with more ammo for their anti-Obama blasts. Au contraire, my conservative friends, I agree completely with the absurdity of the situation.

Nominations for the prize had to be in by February 1st, only 12 days after Obama took office. The committee also sent out solicitation for nominations last September, two months before Obama was elected president. Fishy is not the word, kids. I call BS.

I was the first to eat up the president’s campaign slogan of ‘yes we can,’ and yes I did cast my vote for President Obama, but this little politically motivated pill is proving hard for many liberals like myself to swallow.

The fact that Al Gore won even half of the prize in 2007 made me cringe, but at least he hd done something by then. The word is watching and everyone is waiting for answers. 

What is the response of the Norwegian-based council responsible for awarding Rush Limbaugh an opportunity to say anything about anything?

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," said Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Committee.

My answer to Jagland: Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, these are people who have captured the world’s attention and have given them hope. Gandhi is the only one previously listed who was not awarded the prize. Obama > Gandhi? Even John Forbes Nash could not figure out those mathematics.

Many assume that Obama was considered for the prize because he is the first African American President. I personally believe that president should precede the African American in importance.

I know many who celebrated electing a minority president, if for nothing else, than to prove that a minority could get into office. The prize should not be awarded to the President solely on the basis that Barack Obama happens to be a man of color, or even happens to be the first man of color to lead our nation.

All this being said, would Obama have been a fool to turn down the Nobel Peace Prize? Yes. If someone wanted to give me even a cool million for being half Dominican, I suppose I would not turn it down. Had the President proved himself worthy of the award before the nomination period? Sadly, I must answer, No. As upsetting as it is for this probama writer to admit, I agree with Rush on this one.

Tashima Gallant is the Editor-in-Chief of Red Skies, and usually a supporter of all things Barack Obama. Gallant enjoys talking politics, but is not very good at listening.