They voted him winner two months after he was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. A little premature? I cannot disagree with that opinion, but does it tarnish the name of the award? By no means at all.
To keep it short and sweet, Obama was the perfect individual to receive this honor. He is the figurehead of a movement of change in one of the most popular and unpopular nations of our time. There is a love-hate perception that comes with the mentioning of the USA. That started to change as soon as Obama was elected as President. It was seen all over the world. Obama is well-spoken, charismatic, and an archetypal component of hope/change as his successful campaign for presidency was labeled. He is worthy. He may not have the track record, but it's what is to come. The NPP committee are putting a lot of eggs in Obama's basket of hope/change/peace, but it is up to Obama to live up to this honor. He's shown that he is humble, and undeserving, which help in supporting my confidence in his ability to lead this country while at the same time promoting peace, bringing about change and fulfilling his duty as the 2009 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. I can't wait to hear his official acceptance speech in Oslo. Until then I will share a bit of what Dr. King said when he accepted his prize...
"I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when twenty-two million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award in behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice...Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live -- men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization -- because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake."
-Martin Luther King, Jr. (December 10, 1964 in Oslo, Norway)
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