November 4, 2008, will be remembered as the night Americans wept for joy. It was not only the hundred thousand partisan Chicagoans gathered in Grant Park that were moved to rapture. Good people across the nation wept with gratitude that America at last had taken a giant step to overcome its racism, just as the martyred Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had dreamed in his historic speech at the Lincoln Memorial 45 years ago. They wept because Barack Obama had scored a smashing victory over his rival that could not be denied by any combination of vote thieves or by the U.S. Supreme Court. They wept because the better man won.
The most gifted orator and erudite political figure to grace the American scene in memory, Barack Obama’s star shone ever brighter during the campaign the better the public got to know him. He outperformed previous Democratic presidential candidates with his message of hope and “Yes we can.” As predicted in this space a week ago, based on my interviews with Miami area early voters leaving the polls, Obama would be the likely winner in Florida. Voters that could not remember casting a ballot for the Democrats marked him as their man. As it turned out, he got the votes of many Republicans that recognized his intelligence, charisma, and cool under pressure. “Among the Republican-leaning groups that moved into the Democratic column for Mr. Obama were mothers and Catholics,” the New York Times reported November 5th.
109 posts tagged “news”
The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama today confirmed that discussions between the Dalai Lama and a senior US Government delegation took place in Dharamsala on September 13 and 14.
Dharamsala, May 12: Five Tibetan monks, who staged protests against Chinese rule last year in Amdo Labrang and later managed to escape Tibet, arrived to a hero’s welcome in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Tibetan exiles, including representatives of Tibetan organisations, bearing Tibetan National Flag and Khata (ceremonial scarves) greeted the monks as they arrived here early morning by bus from Delhi.
A Buddhist prison inmate in Texas has won a lawsuit over rules for religious practice.
The prison system requires religious services to be performed by a chaplain or approved religious volunteers. Muslims were allowed to hold religious meetings, but chaplains had declined to lead Buddhist services because of lack of knowledge or because it conflicts with their own beliefs, according to Kelly Shackleford, chief counsel of Liberty Legal Institute.
A federal appeals court stands by the Buddhist inmate.
"Basically what the court said is, 'Look, you've got to give people the same rights' -- that you can't say that there are some faiths that have a right to meet together and pray together and other faiths don't have that right," he notes.
Steve writes:
::continue reading hereOn April 8th, China sentenced two Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak, to death for their alleged involvement in last year's protests in Lhasa. Two others, Phuntsok and Kangtsuk, were also sentenced to death but with a two year reprieve, and Dawa Sangpo was sentenced to life imprisonment.
These harsh sentences signal an alarming escalation in the Chinese government's campaign to punish and intimidate Tibetans who dare to speak out against Chinese rule.
If you agree that such punishments are harsh and unjustified please take action.
Just one brain cell is capable of holding fleeting memories vital for our everyday life, according to US scientists.
A study of mouse brain cells revealed how they could keep information stored for as long as a minute.
A UK specialist said that understanding these short-term memories might help unlock the secrets of Alzheimer's Disease.
US President Barack Obama is expected to allow states to set their own stricter standards for vehicle exhaust emissions, overturning a Bush administration decision which favoured a national standard for vehicle pollution.
(The Tibet Post International 6 November 2008) His Holiness the Dalai Lama congratulated United States President-elect Barack Obama on his election win in a message sent Wednesday November 5, 2008.
Obama defeated opposing candidate Senator John McCain to become the first African-American elected President of the United States in the election held on Tuesday November 4, 2008.
In his message, His Holiness wrote, “I am encouraged that the American people have chosen a President who reflects America's diversity and her fundamental ideal that any person can rise up to the highest office in the land. This is a proud moment for America and one that will be celebrated by many peoples around the world.”
As a United States Senator and Presidential candidate, Obama has repeatedly voiced his support for the Dalai Lama and the struggle of the Tibetan people for greater human rights in Tibet. In a statement following the uprisings in March of this year Obama said, “If Tibetans are to live in harmony with the rest of China's people, their religion and culture must be respected and protected. Tibet should enjoy genuine and meaningful autonomy.”
The President-elect and His Holiness last met at a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee event in 2005. During the Dalai Lama’s July 2008 visit to the United States they corresponded through telephone and post but were unable to meet face-to-face due to Obama’s tight campaign schedule.
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile also sent their congratulations to the new President-elect. In their congratulatory message, Speaker Karma Chopel wrote, “During the course of the electioneering, we have noted with satisfaction your interest in the Tibetan issue and your growing support for the Tibetan cause. Your distinguished predecessors, irrespective of their party affiliations, have supported the Tibetan issue strongly and have had a close and friendly relationship with our leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We hope that you will not only maintain the tradition but give an added thrust in view of the strong resentment shown openly by our people living under the Chinese rule in Tibet,”
Full text of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message to President-elect Barack Obama:
November 5, 2008H.E. Barack Obama
President-elect of the United States of America
Washington, DC
U.S.A.Dear President-elect Obama,
Congratulations on your election as the President of the United States of America.
I am encouraged that the American people have chosen a President who reflects America's diversity and her fundamental ideal that any person can rise up to the highest office in the land. This is a proud moment for America and one that will be celebrated by many peoples around the world.
The American Presidential elections are always a great source of encouragement to people throughout the world who believe in democracy, freedom and equality of opportunities.
May I also commend the determination and moral courage that you have demonstrated throughout the long campaign, as well as the kind heart and steady hand that you often showed when challenged. I recall our own telephone conversation this spring and these same essential qualities came through in your concern for the situation in Tibet.
As the President of the United States, you will certainly have great and difficult tasks before you, but also many opportunities to create change in the lives of those millions who continue to struggle for basic human
needs. You must also remember and work for these people, wherever they may be.With my prayers and good wishes,
Yours sincerely,
THE DALAI LAMA
President-elect Barack Obama has launched a new website change.gov, where one can find news about the transition and inauguration and information about his agenda. The site also has a place for people to share their ideas for government and their stories about the campaign
RNS Feature: "Buddhists get engaged in race for president": "......A significant number of Buddhist immigrants who fled communist regimes in Southeast Asia tend to be politically conservative, which could help Republican candidate Sen. John McCain. But a solid majority of American Buddhists are converts, who tend to be liberal, and many back Democrat Barack Obama....."
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