Day 103- Nobel Prize, revisted

So I’m going to keep on at it. But I think on all these issues -- nuclear disarmament, nuclear proliferation, Middle East peace -- progress is going to be measured not in days, not in weeks. It’s going to take time. And progress will be halting. And sometimes we’ll take one step forward and two steps back, and there will be frustrations. And so it’s not going to run on the typical cable news 24/7 news cycle. But if we’re persistent, and we’ve got the right approach, then over time, I think that we can make progress. - President Obama, 4/13/2010 Press Conference


Dear Mr. President,

Progress is important, even if it is sometimes too slow. That you brought together the leaders of so many nations and made significant steps toward a safer world this week is impressive; some will say it is not enough, some will say you've compromised our safety, too many will not notice or care. Personally, I feel as though the Nobel Prize you were awarded was given in good faith, in the hope of times like these, when the nations of the world could gather in Washington and discuss nuclear security with honesty, frankness, and mutual respect. The world is, once more, looking to American leadership on this issue, and much of that is due to the improved foreign relations you have fostered since your inauguration.

This is the kind of American leadership that I'm happy to represent to the rest of the world when I travel. I do not agree with either war we are currently waging, nor with our general policy toward the Palestinians; however, I feel that all three situations were inherited and have, at the very least, benefited from your measured and thoughtful approach. Even if I don't always agree with your approach to foreign policy, I feel as though you have a willingness to explain your thinking and to allow for dissent from your citizens and from allies that brings people together. I think this is exactly what they had in mind when they chose you for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Respectfully yours,

Kelsey