[LETTERS to the editor]It’s only a beacon

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[LETTERS to the editor]It’s only a beacon



“Only those who have been torn by despair are capable of hope.” This is my favorite quote from a Korean novel. Since Nov. 4, this seems to fit America as well.

America was torn due to its unilateralism - the last thing a nation should pursue in globalization. The United States withdrew from the International Criminal Court, the Kyoto Protocol and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, claiming it won’t let others have control over U.S. policy. Furthermore, it went to war in Iraq with misleading justification. As Joseph Nye said, the rogue state was the U.S. itself.

The end of the Bush administration signals the end of despair and the return of hope. Obama embodies tolerance, while Bush did not, and integrity, unlike Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the declaration of independence while owning slaves in his plantation.

The world is now reconsidering its perspective on America. Some even say that they are already satisfied to see an America different from its past. Well, it’s too early to say. The opportunity given to America is not a synonym for change. But it could be a beacon, signaling the beginning of change. Fortunately - or unfortunately - America has room to improve since the Bush administration left so many tasks for Obama to right. Whatever Obama does will seem like progress.

Lho Ji-young, Seongnam

Foreign Language High School
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