A New Beginning in the Middle East

I know some will strongly criticize this posting, but a man must say what he has to.

Despite what some conservatives and the right-leaning wing of the party is espousing, I actually thought President Obama’s address at Cairo University was terrific. Given how delicate and complicated things are in that part of the world, his remarks brought a new vantage point to some of the worldwide problems.

Notwithstanding your personal political outlook, there are many statements in the president’s speech that all Americans can agree with: his challenging of the 9/11 conspiracy theories, the remarks on the Middle East extremists’ denial of the Holocaust, his hope to ensure that the rights of all God’s children are respected. As we move forward, we need to reconcile the problem between Israel and Palestine, prevent further terrorist attacks that kill the innocent and participate actively and empathetically in negotiations in order to bring peace to a region after years of war.

I applaud President Obama’s speech. Consistently in this space I’ve criticized his economic initiatives, which I consider a misguided attempt to rebuild and strengthen America’s sluggish economy in the long run. Often we malign him for the sake of wanting him to fail; however, many Americans can see the hypocrisy and the danger in this. If Obama’s policies do work, would it be in the best interests of any American to hinder a successful policy? What if his engagement does pay off with substantive and significant policies that are implemented to move them forward?

Given the historical hostility in the Middle East and continuing terrorist attacks around the world, it’s critical that the president at least have the chance for a new beginning in the region. Can’t we all at least agree that this approach be given a chance?

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