Quite a few people have sent me this open letter from Alice Walker to Barack Obama:

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You
have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being
the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know,
because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But
seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year
after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be
struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost
more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended
to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of
all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place.
It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the
generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of
Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually
appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your
rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is
a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I
would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that
the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for
bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you
do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a
schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your
gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your
family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon
become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their
wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles
so lacking in joy that they remi nd us of scissors. This is no way to
lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about
all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax.
From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is
all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless
cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they
can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear
to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the
reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take
on other people’s enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of
fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just
in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We
must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries
who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are
commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our
beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother
used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin,
but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole
communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling
a people’s spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor
people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A
good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by
the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts
the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the
soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All
else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to
peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and
majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do
gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is
that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and so ul, that, kept
happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us,
lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker