Keep Our Eyes on the Prize

By: The Rev. Al Sharpton | Posted: November 16, 2012 at 12:08 AM

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Writing at EURWeb, the Rev. Al Sharpton presents a call to action for the next four years of the Obama oresidency.

There were many who were surprised by the 2012 Presidential election. In simple terms, they didn’t expect us to show up; but we did, and we helped propel this President to victory for four more years.

As leaders meet with the President this week, and as we fast approach negotiations on the fiscal cliff, we must remain focused on protecting vital American ideals like Medicare, Medicaid, quality education and other concepts that help define who we are as a nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by those on the right that can’t accept the outcome of this election, or by those on the left that are caught up in their own egos and personal gripes. We didn’t just blindly vote and win this election for a particular Party or person; the majority sided with a policy that benefits the people and not special interests. It’s important now as it perhaps ever was that we continue to concentrate on that platform and keep our eyes on the prize.

In 1994, Dr. Wyatt Walker, who previously served as chief strategist for the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (and Chair of National Action Network’s Board of Directors), took me on a trip to South Africa as an election observer. I’ll never forget the shock of seeing members of the left denouncing Mandela for having negotiations with the White Afrikaners, or some Afrikaners attacking Mandela and calling him a terrorist and extremist. Dr. Walker told me then, that’s the price of leadership.

Read the Rev. Al Sharpton's entire piece at EURWeb.

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