It's "OUR" Time

President-elect Barack Obama spoke three words that can both disturb and inspire the American people: “It’s our time.” It would be far too transparent and superficial to focus only on the obvious responses to that statement. Supporters of the progressive candidate are no doubt enthralled that maybe (finally) they will “get theirs” (from a post-election Obama supporter’s comments). The conflicting messages of “let’s build one nation of equals,” versus “only if you’re one of ‘us’,” are confusing to opponents. However, those are not my topics.

It is historically accurate that power brokers have guided our national policy, often at the expense of the under served. For those who are feeling the weight of defeat, perhaps it is our time to encourage those who are unfamiliar with achievement to accept authority and accountability. Perhaps it is our time to offer enlightenment into the challenges of success, and mentor the ambitious who have had fewer opportunities.

For those feeling the rapture of victory, perhaps it is our time to shape a productive reality that will far exceed the imaginings of the world. Perhaps it is our time to offer conclusive proof that our platform and philosophy would not limit or discriminate based on creed, color, or origin. It’s our time to play an active and ongoing role in building a vibrant and sustainable future.

Nevertheless, I must offer warnings, both to those who are called upon to step aside and to those who hope to step up. There are logical and predictable consequences to both reckless abandonment and rushing headlong into unfamiliar territory. Either (or both) can have catastrophic outcomes if enacted improperly.

If the risk-takers, investors, innovators, and employers withdraw from their industries, we will jeopardize the stability of the nation. If our decades of sacrifice and expertise are withheld out of fear that we will be penalized for success, then everyone will suffer. Only by sharing our knowledge with those who will strive to succeed, can we regain the “former glory” of our great nation.

If we, who have been deprived of position and accomplishment in the past, are forced to create abundance without sufficient preparation, we are set up for failure. To build upon the economic, political, social, environmental, and scientific foundations for which the world once held us in high esteem, we must rely on the proven tenants of success that have worked in the past. But we must study and be receptive to examples and models in order to emulate success, now that our time has come.

It seems that in the greatest society, the word “OUR” should have the broadest definition possible. Cultures that are striving to make lasting contributions to the advancement of humankind will abhor the constant reversals of “who gets to be on top.” By demanding any more or having diminished expectations of any category of people within a nation, reinforces disparity and constricts the word “our” until it becomes meaningless.