American Civilization

Today we witnessed another dramatic change in the policies of this new administration.  Obama sent out greetings to mark the Persian New Year.  In that address he made it clear that his wishes were not just being sent to the Iranian leaders, but also to the Iranian people.

Needless to say, this address has caused quite a reaction.  Just read the comments at youtube to see that Obama’s policies are not supported by all of the American people.  I understand, too, that many in Iran viewed his greetings with quite a bit of skepticism.  I guess I’m naive, but, as I think of my students – many of whom are of Iranian descent – I can only hope that this effort to bridge the gap between the two cultures may provide them with some hope for future reconciliation.

That does seem an appropriate message for the first day of spring!