We got to realize that we are one people

In My Humble Opinion
1

Recently we’ve seen the granting of rights for same-sex marriage in Canada and other countries. Although we see that certain states in the USA still have their issues to work out, even there it appears that the tired prejudices against homosexuals are on their way to going out of style and indeed becoming unacceptable. We are witness to the freeing of a people in our own lifetime. Some may disagree with that statement, but it’s the way I see things and it gives me a lot of hope.

What large events or changes have taken place during your lifetime that have given you great hope that things can change for the better?

2

The fall of apartheid, the Berlin Wall, and Soviet Union.

3

Thanks Wakinyan. No more takers? I see so much cynicism on these boards (and in general). Clearly there are lots of serious issues that we need to deal with, but it boggles my mind how quickly people dismiss the incredible strides that have been made even in our time. If we can’t feel good about what we have accomplished, how can we expect to find strength to keep moving forward?

4

In addition to those, I will add: the substantial growth of economic globalization. The more we trade our crap, the less likely we are to fight about it.

5

I’m very interesting in seeing how China will be like in the next 20-30 years. They’ve made so much progress and grown so much its exciting to speculate how they will be in the future. Having only one superpower places too much of a strain on us, and leads to debacles like Iraq where there was no significant opposing voice. Even if they differ from how we think, its important to not be able to act unilaterally

6

I’m 63, and I’ve seen a whole lot of changes concerning race, gender and sexual orientation. My own mother was born before women were allowed to vote!

7

Well I’m only 25, so the election of Barack Obama is basically the only major event that stands out to me, that gives me hope. The spirit of unity that happened post-9/11 really can happen again, I believe it. With the right leadership, we can focus on what we have in common rather than what tears us apart.

And, this is off topic, but I feel compelled to add, I really like your style, NB.

8

The dissapearance/movement to playing within the law of IRA.

9

Thanks for the kind comment OM. For what it’s worth I agree about Obama. Obviously we’ll have to wait and see, but I’ve never heard so much sense come out of a US politician before. How can we be anything but hopeful?