Peace

"Peace is hard, but we know that it is possible. So, together, let us be resolved to see that it is defined by our hopes and not by our fears. Together, let us make peace, but a peace, most importantly, that will last."


I'm pretty used to quoting people who are long gone or no longer in a position to be heard. I love reading through old speeches from presidents and leaders and Nobel Laureates and innovators. A well-phrased truth makes me listen, helps me to better appreciate the successes and challenges of any given situation.


The above quote is the ending paragraph of President Obama's speech to the United Nations General Assembly today. I actually sat down and read the whole thing and I invite you to do the same. No matter what you think about the man or how he's fared in office, this document is full of good quotes. 


"The men and women who built this institution understood that peace is more than just the absence of war. A lasting peace -- for nations and for individuals -- depends on a sense of justice and opportunity, of dignity and freedom. It depends on struggle and sacrifice, on compromise, and on a sense of common humanity. "


""But let us remember: Peace is hard. Peace is hard. Progress can be reversed. Prosperity comes slowly. Societies can split apart. The measure of our success must be whether people can live in sustained freedom, dignity, and security. And the United Nations and its member states must do their part to support those basic aspirations. And we have more work to do. "


"Ultimately, peace depends upon compromise among people who must live together long after our speeches are over, long after our votes have been tallied. "


"True peace depends on creating the opportunity that makes life worth living. And to do that, we must confront the common enemies of humanity: nuclear weapons and poverty, ignorance and disease. These forces corrode the possibility of lasting peace and together we're called upon to confront them."


I pray that words and thoughts like these, that talk peace to everyone, don't end up being left out of history books because they were ignored and become obsolete in the conflicts of our future.