Week Thirty-Four

National Scene 9/23 – 9/29/2009

By Linnie Frank Bailey

Barack Obama became the first United States President to chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Sitting directly behind the President as he led the meeting were Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan E. Rice—the first African-American woman to hold the position.

The President spoke of the need to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons and quoted former President Ronald Reagan who said: “A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the Earth.”

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

President Addresses United Nations

President Obama gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly where he spoke of, “The four pillars fundamental to the future that we want for our children: 1.)non-proliferation and disarmament; 2.)the promotion of peace and security; 3.)the preservation of our planet; and 4.)a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.”

In outlining the difference between his and the prior Administration, Obama stated his foreign policy actions:

• “On my first day in office, I prohibited -- without exception or equivocation -- the use of torture by the United States of America.”
• “I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law.”
• “We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies.”
• “In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war.  We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all our combat brigades from Iraqi territory.”
• “I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.”
• “I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states -- Israel and Palestine -- in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected.”
• “We’ve also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. We have signed the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

The President concluded by defining “a new era of engagement with the world.”

Thursday, September 24, 2009

G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh

President Obama joined leaders of the world’s top economies in discussing a global recovery and what he called, “a 21st century economy.” He summarized the meeting by saying: “In Pittsburgh, the world’s major economies agreed to continue our effort to spur global demand to put our people back to work. We committed ourselves to economic growth that is balanced and sustained— so that we avoid the booms and busts of the past. We reached an historic agreement to reform the global financial system—to promote responsibility and prevent abuse so that we never face a crisis like this again.”

First Lady Hosts Dinner at Farm

While the President had a working dinner with G20 leaders at The Phipps Conservatory, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a dinner for their spouses at Rosemont Farm. Located just outside Pittsburgh, Rosemont is a working farm owned by philanthropist Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Sen. John Kerry.

The next day, Mrs. Obama led the spouses on a tour of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, and to a performance by students at a performing arts high school in the city.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Be Prepared

Once again reminding Americans of the threat from man-made or natural disasters, the Administration’s Department of Homeland Security issued guidelines for preparedness including:

1. Put together an emergency supply kit.
2. Make a family emergency plan.
3. Get informed about the types of emergencies that could take place in your community and appropriate responses. (For inland Southern California it could be earthquakes, fires, floods, flu pandemic, etc.)

For more information on emergency kits and plans, visit www.ready.gov.

For information on the H1N1 (Swine) Flu including vaccination availability, visit www.flu.gov.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

President Attends Congressional Black Caucus Event

The President and First Lady attended the Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner -- part of the 2009 Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to society, symbolizing the immortality of the human spirit and an eternal desire to reach its full potential. President Obama received the award in 2008. This year’s recipients include:

• U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan E. Rice;
• President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Calvin Smyre;
• Actor, Danny Glover;
• Actress, Cicely Tyson:
• Actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph;
• Musician, Wyclef Jean.