THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT!

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT!

President Barack Hussein Obama gave a brave speech in Cairo yesterday that was breathtaking in scope, hopeful in tone and passionate in leadership, that calls for a renewed commitment to Middle-Eastern peace, increased dialog and sustained efforts between Western and Muslim nations to build new relationships based on tolerance, common faith and shared dreams of peaceful coexistence and development. Skeptics will argue that “talk is cheap, but action is more difficult,” but this was a heroic start to the process of forging a new diplomatic framework in a region which has for so long stagnated under the weight of harmful and unproductive rhetoric and political and military strife. The interim prospect of a two-state solution for Palestinians who have suffered from the lack of a welcoming homeland and a regional development plan can perhaps pave the way for an integrated and holistic society where contentious boundaries give way to increased regional development of border-neutral pursuits such as education, infrastructure and regional prosperity. This is a wonderful beginning of a new era of diplomatic relations between the United States, her Western partners and all of those Middle-Eastern nations who share our dreams of reconciliation and a brighter tomorrow.

Mark Overt Skilbred