Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanks-giving


Not a good day for turkeys.

On this most familial of holidays, I decided to take a family poll. This holiday, we're five older white U.S. adults, ranging from a youthful 57 to nearly 80, well read, well informed, and inclined to liberalism. Sorry, no outliers here; we're a pretty heterogeneous bunch.

Here's the question:
Who is the living public figure you feel thankful for?

And the answers I got:
  • Nelson Mandela: the greatest statesman alive.
  • Barack Obama: not so much for what he has accomplished as for the symbolism of his election
  • Bill Moyers: his PBS Journal TV program has set the standard for a political blog -- informative, sometimes breaking news, thoughtful and still idiosyncratically personal
  • Paul Farmer: medical doctor and social irritant best known for his work bringing health care to the poor, especially in Haiti
  • Berto Nevin: "because I'm still here."
Who is the living public figure you are most thankful for?

1 comment:

Kay Dennison said...

The cynic in me wants to say 'no one' but I know that there has to be someone who actually is committed to making a better world but I can't think of anyone right now.

I tend toward the everyday people like my priest who create 'small miracles' on a daily basis. I'll see see him later today when I volunteer at my parish for our annual Thanksgiving dinner for those who are in need. We also do a soup kitchen every week!