Today is Wednesday the 21st, the day after Obama's inauguration, and three days before I depart on my trip. I want to just send a shout out to Obama for his inclusion of the following line in his speech: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
As an American who is about to travel abroad, and specifically to a Muslim nation (Bangladesh) I want to offer my deepest gratitude to our new President for taking seriously what it means to be commander and chief of the most powerful country in the world. His top priorities in international relations should be: compassion, the ability to listen and try to see from different vantages, and above all the strength to nurture peace using diplomacy all around the globe, not just in the Western world.
The last time I was in India I often cringed when admitting that I was American, now for the fist time I can (almost) proudly say I am American. Although we have a long way to go, our moral arc is finally beginning to bend towrds justice! Thank you Mr. Obama, now get to work and bend that arc firmly. You may face criticism but know your critics are the few who benefit from the world staying full of injustice. I hope you make me proud some day, to know that we began to fix what our last eight years has broken, maybe the rest of the world can now feel like we are slightly more fit for the task ahead of 'fixing America' and in that shifting the world.
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