Obama should return Peace Prize
Tyler Bryant
Issue date: 10/23/09 Section: Opinion
President Barack Obama was recently awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for leading the United States to play "a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting," according to the official announcement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Committee also cited Obama's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
Obama supporters and opponents alike were shocked by the announcement, according to The New York Times, as they should be. After all, voting ended Feb. 1 and Obama took office Jan. 20. It seems to be a bit of a stretch to prove your peace-making plans in that short period of time.
One could argue it looks good for an American president to be honored in such a way. One could also argue it's early arrival overshadows any honor. According to CNN, many leaders and former Nobel Peace Prize recipients called to give their congratulations to Obama, but many other observers expressed surprise and disapproval at the decision to honor Obama for what they saw as his ambitions rather than his achievements.
It's true Obama represents a new leadership for America and a new path in international relations. However, I respectfully disagree with the choice to honor President Obama in this degree, especially given it's so early into his presidency. Why are we rewarding a man in such a premature fashion when he has been given little to no chance to fulfill his early promises? Perhaps this is a political move by the committee, but we may never know.
With Obama's win, he joins a league of extraordinary gentleman. Past winners include Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and, of course, Yasser Arafat. Oh, wait, he wasn't so extraordinary, was he?
Obama built his campaign rhetoric under fancy speeches about hope and peace. These are two things no American can argue as wants and needs, but even former President George W. Bush wanted peaceful relations in the world. These plans were put on hold, however, when terrorists attacked us on 9/11. Where is Bush's Nobel Peace Prize? However, even as a war-time president he made "extraordinary efforts" to enhance peace relations around the world by getting rid of one of the world's worst dictators.
Every president has wanted peaceful relations with the rest of the world. So what makes this president any different? If you ask me, Obama should turn down the Nobel Peace Prize. If he finds actual successes with international relations, then, and only then, can he accept it.
Obama supporters and opponents alike were shocked by the announcement, according to The New York Times, as they should be. After all, voting ended Feb. 1 and Obama took office Jan. 20. It seems to be a bit of a stretch to prove your peace-making plans in that short period of time.
One could argue it looks good for an American president to be honored in such a way. One could also argue it's early arrival overshadows any honor. According to CNN, many leaders and former Nobel Peace Prize recipients called to give their congratulations to Obama, but many other observers expressed surprise and disapproval at the decision to honor Obama for what they saw as his ambitions rather than his achievements.
It's true Obama represents a new leadership for America and a new path in international relations. However, I respectfully disagree with the choice to honor President Obama in this degree, especially given it's so early into his presidency. Why are we rewarding a man in such a premature fashion when he has been given little to no chance to fulfill his early promises? Perhaps this is a political move by the committee, but we may never know.
With Obama's win, he joins a league of extraordinary gentleman. Past winners include Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and, of course, Yasser Arafat. Oh, wait, he wasn't so extraordinary, was he?
Obama built his campaign rhetoric under fancy speeches about hope and peace. These are two things no American can argue as wants and needs, but even former President George W. Bush wanted peaceful relations in the world. These plans were put on hold, however, when terrorists attacked us on 9/11. Where is Bush's Nobel Peace Prize? However, even as a war-time president he made "extraordinary efforts" to enhance peace relations around the world by getting rid of one of the world's worst dictators.
Every president has wanted peaceful relations with the rest of the world. So what makes this president any different? If you ask me, Obama should turn down the Nobel Peace Prize. If he finds actual successes with international relations, then, and only then, can he accept it.
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