The Eulogy

I had just finished watering the garden, trying to beat the heat. I had gone swimming in our pool, relishing that it was still completely in the shade , as it was late morning, and the sun would not hit the water until about noon. At 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the water felt delicious after having the sun beat down on me for close to an hour, getting water to all the flowers, veggies and fruit bushes. I knew President Obama was about to give the eulogy for the Reverend Clementa Pinckney in Charleston, South Carolina. I was impressed by what I heard. The president touched on the sore issue of unresolved racism in this country, and on the brave history of the black church in the US, a history that is intrinsically connected to the fight against prejudice and discrimination and the long battle for civil rights from the days of slavery to today. It is a history rich in heart and strength, politically and spiritually. The President praised Rev. Pinckney for his commitment to his community, for his heart and wisdom, his dedication and his unwavering faith, and how the murderer had failed to instill fear and division, as the black community came together in a spirit of forgiveness, believing love and forgiveness trump evil any day. The President dealt next with the issue of the Confederate flag, and said it was a symbol of a war that was fought for the wrong reasons, since it was in the name of perpetuating slavery, which he called " the original sin of our nation." He talked about the need for better education and training for our police officers, to avoid the temptation of prejudice towards black men in the judicial system. He brought up the need for honest dialogue about the undercurrent of prejudice that affects opportunities for blacks in the work force, and the threat to voting rights. He called on the need for sensible gun laws, before calling on grace as a gift from God that should propel us a nation towards action on all these issues. It was a stirring, bold,heartfelt intelligent message, as the president finished by expressing the wish that God may continue to bless the "UNITED" with great emphasis on the word, the UNITED States of America, in other words, a united, not divided against itself, country. I hope this wonderful eulogy will translate into some noticeable action on Capitol Hill. Together with the announcement that the Supreme Court had just decided that gay marriage is legal now in all 50 states, today is an amazing day in the history of the nation I call my own.