The Indictment of America

Sometimes I'm amazed that we are still breathing. With horrible abuses of animals, the planet and human kind, it's amazing that we are still here. But now I'm really afraid that our beloved country, America, is standing on its last wobbly legs. I'm worried that the karmic effects of our negative actions will finally come home to roost. Our lack of compassion and love could actually consume us. However, we are still being given signs from the universe, glimpses of hope and opportunities to rise up and live up to our promise. The whole world wants us to succeed. The whole world wants us to lead. The whole world wants us to be the beacon of hope that we all joyously supported on Nov. 5, 2008 when we elected our 44th president, Barack Obama.

It only took a little more than nine months for the world to once again let us know that they are on our side. Let us know that we did the right thing. Let us know that we took the right course of action. Let us know that our president is a man of peace. Before the president even had time to wish his dog a happy birthday and kiss his daughters on the cheek as they left for school, the vicious, hate-filled and at times, racist, attacks began.

The president's honest attempt to promote world peace through the same methods taught by Jesus Christ are met with contempt by a country whose collective consciousness is extraordinarily fearful and at times, sacrilegious. In one of the most telling moments of the past nine months, the skepticism that the President was met with after his compassionate speech in Cairo was shocking. He conceded nothing in that speech but love. This is the route that is prescribed to us by all of the great prophets in the Bible, Qur'an and the Torah. The president stood in front of the world and made the bold statement of fact that America would like to operate from a place of love. His intention to promote health care for all, a clean and sustainable environment, quality and affordable education, civil rights for everyone, including gays and an end to two wars that need to come to an end is met with so much trepidation and suspicion by a segment of this country whose perception stinks with arrogance. Our progressive president is so loving that the whole world is praying for us to lift ourselves up, yet we are still so afraid. And we have allowed hurtful, spiteful and small-minded people like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh to scare the love out of us.

America, our country is under indictment. And we will be found guilty if we don't act. If we allow these nasty, malicious people, who harbor so much hate with views that separate us from the rest of world, to continue to tell us how to think, we will be found guilty of charge one. If we allow so-called "men of faith," who don't practice a word Jesus Christ preached, to bully us and scare us, we will be found guilty of charge two. If we allow leaders of our country who claim that they represent us, when they really represent big business and corporate greed, to create policy in our name, we will be found guilty of charge three. If we allow leaders of a political party that only know one word, and that is "no," to work against the best interests of our country, we will not only be found guilty of charge four, we will be sentenced by God to self-destruction.

However. We can turn this around real fast. Our president is trying to do all of the things that he promised. He is trying to change the damaged image of America and Americans around the world. He is trying to create change, not just for change's sake, but to make our country better. He needs our support and he needs it now. I respected what he said on Saturday night at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner, "I appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough. Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach." Remember, they killed Mahatma Gandhi. They killed John F. Kennedy. They killed Martin Luther King. They killed Malcolm X. They killed Robert F. Kennedy. They killed Yitzhak Rabin. They killed many of the great dreamers. With all of the fearful men running our media, we no longer have to kill the dreamer, it is possible just to kill the dream.

with great love
all things are possible
-Russell Simmons

 

 

Follow Russell Simmons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unclerush

Comments

[lennix]

amen russell thanks

[neodesha]

Strength and leadership does not mean you go in with guns blazing. We had enough of that with the last administration. Nothing wrong with giving other nations a chance to respond to a peaceful overture or request. I am confident President Obama's heart is in the right place and I am also confident he has the intellectual agility to implement a measured escalation in his approach, I believe it is called diplomacy.

[commonsense2]

The United States helped win two World Wars and has contributed great inventions and contributiosn to the world Mr. Simmons.

What country do you point out for contributing great karma and treating it's people well? Say Somalia? Or North Korea?

There are other places to find much worse karma. And if there is such disdain for America the rest of the world shouldn't always ask for our help.

[Philclock]

Mr. Simmons, the rest of the world met Obama's words of contrition with a collective shrug and "what's in it for me"? Russian and China's turndown today to Obama's asking for their help in sanctioning Iran tells it like it is: peace and love are nothing without strength and leadership.

[austin4]

For 8 years, there was no leadership in this Country. President Obama, has been trying to rebuild, what Bush tore down , during his reign of ter ror.

[pwhunter]

Mr Simmons, perhaps it is time for a honest look at the dangers that face us in the world and ask yourself if this president of "love" is getting any "love" from countries that are supposed to be our allies. Think about it for a second: has anything really changed for the better since Obama took office? is anyone other than britain helping us in Iraq right now? how about Germany? How about Russia? How about France? Are they not fully aware of the dangers to world peace that the taliban poses? Can you blame Beck and Limabught for that fact too?

Here is a hint: the rest of the world doesn't care all that much about America, nor do they care all that much about human rights. They never really did. Some of them, like Russia, even wish us to fail. It is a fact of life. They only help us when it is in their best interest to do so. All of the "love" coming from Obama doesn't change that fact.

[pwhunter]

i posted a minor typo in my above post. See below:

Mr Simmons, perhaps it is time for a honest look at the dangers that face us in the world and ask yourself if this president of "love" is getting any "love" from countries that are supposed to be our allies. Think about it for a second: has anything really changed for the better since Obama took office? is anyone other than britain helping us in AFGHANISTAN right now? is Germany? How about Russia? How about France? Are they not fully aware of the dangers to world peace that the taliban poses? Should we blame Beck and Limabugh for the fact that our allies are not helping us?

[blackgirlgrown]

Part of me wonders if the media gives too much energy to the naysayers. Similar to the "balloon boy" incident, the media went overboard in its coverage. The 24/7 cable news/social media/search for ratings make it much too easy to give complete idiots, racists, and other unsavory types an audience. The more energy and attention you give these bumbling Neanderthals the more power you also give them.

Yes, a number of crazies have come out of the woodwork since Obama's election. However, there wasn't a YouTube, cell phone camera, or microphone shoved in front of their faces.

The more energy you give it, the more energy it has.

[Coastalthinker2]

Russell Simmons - your words are very inspirational and I wish everyone in this country took them to heart. Unless we start thinking as a "community" instead of solely as independent people with the "what's in it for me" mentality, things will get worse. Please continue spreading your words of inspiration and inspire others to take action which are in the best interests of "we the people".

[nexxtep54]

Further to my previous post...yes we are happy Obama is a beacon of hope for America, but only because he shines through the fog of the Bush years. The citizens of rest of the world were and are doing much better than their American counterparts in most social areas. health, industry, social issues.

Just because America finally has hope, this hope places them merely on par, not way ahead.

[nexxtep54]

"The whole world wants us to succeed, The whole world wants us to lead . . .

Maybe if the 'whole world' is within the borders of the U"S"

It might just be me, buy I'd venture to say that Russia and China and most of the Middle East and all of South America and some parts of Africa, and maybe even Iceland might not care much one way or the other if America succeeds. France? Alaska ?

What the whole world knows is that the American financial house of cards brought down a lot of their affiliated countries and they might not be happy to see you in the position to do it again.

[iridium53]

“Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg.”

Hope is not a strategy.

Intentions, words and speeches are nice.

It is, however, outcomes, results that matter. Execution counts.
Every loser has an excuse for why they didn't or couldn't execute.

Or, as Shakespeare wrote, "Action is eloquence.­"

[Dunelm]

Exactly. I heard a French woman last week defend France's healthcare system by saying, we in France "care more about people than we do about money." Another indictment of this country's values.

[Dailykook]

We are only partly responsible. But to law sole blame of worlds problems on our doorstep is completely dishonest.

[DBtv]

Karmic blowback IS a bitch.

[research]

Thank you. Well said.

[inthedesert]

Not only do individuals have a karma but so do nations and America's karma right now is fearfully negative..­....and has been for the last 8 years or so under BushCo. YES, I have felt very strongly recently that we are heading for some kind of "cosmic retribution" for our past sins(and continuing sins)against the world. I have no idea what this will be but there is a sense of something that will totally overwhelm our country and put the final "nail in the coffin" of capitalism and all the evil things that it has become.