I am saddened by the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award Barack Obama the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.  As much as I love and respect our President, this was a hasty decision that will not bring good consequences. To me it seems that the requirements to receive the Peace Prize have, in the last decades, become so diluted that only famous and rich politicians are able to be awarded the prize. Here I think of Carter, Al Gore, and now our current President. These public servants have already received so much recognition and fame that they do not need the prestigious Peace Prize.

What about the thousands of common people who have devoted their entire lives to peace? They should be the ones who are considered. Martin Luther King and Desmond Tutu, for example, received the Peace Prize because they gave their lives to working against violence, especially racially motivated violence, and war.

True, our President has fostered a new climate of diplomacy and openness in Washington, and in the world – a vast improvement over his bomb-first, ask-questions-later predecessor. But campaign promises and political realities aside, he has yet to demonstrate a commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan. And there are many among us, even his supporters, who remain skeptical of his actions in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Jesus says we will know a tree by its fruits. Even the best fruit takes time to ripen. How can our President – with all his good will – bear meaningful fruit after less than a year in office?  The Nobel Committee should do better than this. I hope that many other voices will join me in expressing their disappointment in this decision.

 

---

Your Turn. Tell us what you thought about this article:

Responses

I am really saddened to see what steps the Nobel Comm. has taken.  All that we the people can see that he has accomplished is to get the American people up in arms about his healthcare plan.  Which all I can see is someone else writting his stuff for him and all he is is a puppet that can read a telepromtor.  They really need to take a harder look at real people that have actually accomplished great things that have affected many peoples of the world.  We can be so fooled by idols and I really feel that they are trying to create an idol that they think that other people will follow.  There is only one place that he could lead and that is down a down slopped road to the end.  We need to keep our eyes opened for the false leaders that crawl out from under rocks such as we have as leadership at this time.  We fight not against flesh or blood but against powers of darkness.

Gary Portell

---

There are undoubtedly many individuals and organizations worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, as reflected in the fact that there were 205 nominations.   Though I personally was surprised at Obama being selected, given his short track record, I think the choice is an entirely appropriate one, since he has already made major changes in the approach that the US is taking toward international relations and issues of peace and conflict resolution.   True, few of these new directions have yet paid off.  However, his committment to negotiation over saber-rattling, to nuclear weapons reduction, to  climate change activities that will aid developing countries even more than the richest countries, to listening to both sides in the middle-East conflicts, and several other initiatives all help to create an environment which can serve as a catalyst for others of us working toward some of these objectives to work more effectively in our own spheres.   As Obama himself recognizes, there are massive challenges ahead, but the Nobel Committee's recognition of what he is trying to do can be a springboard to further change.   While there is no such thing as a "perfect" choice for this high honor, I am confident Obama will prove himself a worthy recipient.

Tim Johnson
Decatur, Georgia

---

I think it was very irresponsible of the comittee to award the peace prize to a man that very few people had even heard of before the presidency. They should recall their vote or the president should decline to receive it.

Richard Shea
Uniontown, PA

---

I tend to agree with your assessment of the Nobel Committee's choice this year. But primarily I pray for our leaders that they will do the things which allow believers to live quiet and peaceable lives, as the Apostle teaches.

I thank God for the people and witness of your communities.

Levi Miller
Scottdale, PA

---

... For us the election of Obama was a great joy and we have great hopes for him. He found the United States in the greatest mess ever, but is brave enough to turn diplomasy into a verbal understanding, rather than throwing his bombs on completely innocent people and causing death, panic and crippled men , women and children.

I believe that it is the Christians in the United States, that should sit down and think: What is the reason I /we do not stand behind our own President. It is right, that Obama received the Nobel Prize for Peace, because his intentions are good, his will and faith are in this, but he has to clean up the mess he found, before he "can bear fruit". He needs all the support he can get. Why are the people from the U.S. so much against a health plan? For us in Europe it works well. I am happy that he got the prize to give him hope to go  the way he started out on!

Elizabeth
Drachten
Netherlands

---

I fail to understand all the cynicism about Pres. Obama's being awarded the peace prize.  Although I've been disappointed that he's not doing as much as I would like to see done to solve the major conflict of the Middle East, he does stand for a different way of doing government, a different posture for the USA among the nations.  Politics is only the art of the possible.  The American public is so divided as to hamstring any president that tries to take other than an imperialistic, militaristic approach the worlds ills, it seems.  Let us all pray and work for peace and justice in our world which includes nurturing the flames of peace and justice where they appear.

Ken Seitz
Harrisonburg, Virginia

---

Do you really believe that this President has fostered a new climate of diplomacy and openness in Washington? In what world are you living in sir?

angelmel

---

I agree that President Obama should not have received the Nobel Peace Prize - my reason being that so far he has only 'talked the talk' - & he is FAR from 'walking the walk'.  My personal opinion is that he will not be able to do that.

I disagree with your statement that he is responsible for an open-ness in Washington.  His Administration is the furthest thing from being open that I have seen in my long life.  I find him to be inexperienced, to have a very thin skin, and to possess an arrogance that can only be topped by Barney Frank's.

Jan Swanda
Georgetown, USA

---

Jan Swanda says it well. 
Also, the American people live with the shame of leading the free world in murder of pre-born humans (every third child).  Obama slipped a guarantee into the healthcare bill to continue the murders without a vote of the people; and the objectors must pay for it.  With so many innocent lives lost, how can this shameful man recieve a Peace Prize? 

Bob Bergmann
CA, USA