Obama shows profound influence on world

Publication Date: 11/06/2009

Yes, it’s arguable whether or not president Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Certainly, Mother Teresa deserved the award. Did she deserve it after a month of being self-less and helping people? Maybe, but maybe not. Did she win it after a month? No. Why not? Probably because the committee who gives the award must only give it to people who have illustrated a profound influence on the world as we know it. Although Mother Teresa certainly had an influence on the people she helped in the first month of her work, it wasn’t until much later the profound effect of her work had saturated the collective consciousness and changed the world.
It’s arguable that she didn’t deserve the award in the first month of her 40 years. So, what is so different about president Obama winning in the first month after his inauguration? At least for me, having Bush win a re-election shattered my belief in the American system, and as strange as it may sound, having Obama win the presidency has reaffirmed by belief in America. I’m saying that he already has had a profound effect on the world as we know it. Perhaps it’s not entirely his “fault;” I mean, he ran a good race, but we elected him after all.
Maybe Obama is exactly the right person to win the award right now. Does nobody else see it this way? Or is everyone really so caught up in the “but he hasn’t done anything yet” argument that they are missing the point entirely. Oh well; it wouldn’t be the first time someone wrote into opinions to make a joke without a care to making a reasonable point. It sure does bug me though, and especially when there are three jokes and no point.

Sal Barone

Graduate student