Obama was the 2009 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, but the reason begs the question: why?.
I want to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Quite an ambitious goal for a high school student, right? Well, as he has done since he entered office, Barack Obama has given me hope.
He showed me how to win: talk.
I’m not lying; all you have to do is talk. Talk about peace and what you want to accomplish to change the world. Here’s the real kicker: You don’t actually have to do what you are talking about. It’s the sure-fire way to win. Do that and you’ll be woken up at 6 a.m. with a call telling you that you’ve won a Nobel Prize.
In all honesty, I don’t like politics, but, nonetheless, I was confused and slightly ticked off when I heard that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.
What has he done?
Since the day he announced his ambitions for president, he stated that he would make a change for America and how the international community viewed our country. I admire his drive, but it is nothing worth winning even a novelty prize for. He hasn’t even been in office an entire year — hardly enough time to see any tangible results.
So why was this prize awarded to him? The Norwegian Nobel Committee said they awarded him the prize for his efforts to create a nuclear-free world and to create peace within global politics. That’s kind of funny considering the United States is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world, nuclear and otherwise. The committee said that they awarded the prize to support Obama’s efforts.
Efforts?
The Nobel Peace Prize should not be awarded to someone just for what he wants to do. Obama had been doing a fine job talking about a nuclear-free world without the shiny gold medal. He doesn’t need one. Lest we forget, Obama was put on the ballot for the prize only 12 days after he was sworn into office. He was on the ballot before he had done anything to make a difference on the international stage.
I’m sure the 1986 winner of the prize, Elie Wiesel, could have used that support when he dedicated his entire life to enlightening Jews and other persecuted groups. He then published a book about his horrific experiences. After he completed those accomplishments, he was then awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Wiesel truly earned it.
What about the other two presidents who were in office when they were awarded the prize, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson? Roosevelt won it for his role in ending the bloody 1905 war between two of the world’s great powers, Japan and Russia. Wilson received the prize for signing a treaty ending a small conflict commonly referred to as World War I. They were given peace prizes for their actions, not their intent.
How about Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been trying to foster peace in his country for years? He was one of the top competitors in the running for the 2009 prize. Instead, his efforts will remain relatively unnoticed by the rest of the world, while Obama’s words and goals, not actions, will be known forever.
I want Obama to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but I want Obama to win for actually doing something. He shouldn’t win it for not being George W. Bush. I want him to earn it for making a difference.
I can only hope that Obama will not accept the prize for himself. Agreeing with the words of The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, I hope Obama will accept the prize on behalf of all of America’s veterans and current Armed Forces members. People who risk their lives every day for the protection of our country. They deserve it
And what of the $1.4 million he will receive along with his prize? I would love to hear that he donated it to charity. I’d still be happy hearing that he spent it to improve education or fix the economy. Heck, I would be proud of him if he spends all of the money buying as many Fords as he can.
The committee seriously needs to rethink how they award the Nobel prize. They have turned one of the most honorable and prestigious awards into a party favor. But hey, I guess because I’m talking about a change, the committee will award me a Nobel Peace Prize, too.
