I'm looking at the MSNBC breaking news, about President Obama declaring that "the buck stops with me" to fix the awful AIG mess. I just gave a lecture this last week at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa about this very issue--the concept of taking responsibility, even when the mess you're left with isn't your fault. The conundrum of "responsiblity vs. blame" is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of people, I think. When I discussed my book, "The Lyncher in Me" and the idea of shouldering responsibility for past familial sins, some still question the veracity and the sincerity of my actions. I still believe, in all good conscience, that we as a people can move forward only if we're willing to shoulder the responsibility for bettering our world, whether it we created the mess or not, whether anyone else appears willing to step forward.
I absolutely am in awe of our president's willingness to do just that. Whether or not we agree with the steps he's taking, the very fact that he steps up and says, "It is I" when the rats scurry all around him (stating, "I screwed up" after the Daschle crumble is an example) has to shine a beacon of bright, elixor-producing light on a country that has been so used to minimizing, deflecting, pompous cowboy posturing for so long. A wonderul, admirable example of maturity and integrity that I can show my sons.
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