Dreams from My FatherBarack ObamaWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Dreams from My FatherBarack ObamaWord文档下载推荐.docx
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1CHRONICLES29:
15
PREFACETOTHE2004EDITION
ALMOSTADECADEHASpassedsincethisbookwasfirstpublished.AsImentionintheoriginalintroduction,theopportunitytowritethebookcamewhileIwasinlawschool,theresultofmyelectionasthefirstAfrican-AmericanpresidentoftheHarvardLawReview.Inthewakeofsomemodestpublicity,Ireceivedanadvancefromapublisherandwenttoworkwiththebeliefthatthestoryofmyfamily,andmyeffortstounderstandthatstory,mightspeakinsomewaytothefissuresofracethathavecharacterizedtheAmericanexperience,aswellasthefluidstateofidentity-theleapsthroughtime,thecollisionofcultures-thatmarkourmodernlife.
Likemostfirst-timeauthors,Iwasfilledwithhopeanddespairuponthebook’spublication-hopethatthebookmightsucceedbeyondmyyouthfuldreams,despairthatIhadfailedtosayanythingworthsaying.Therealityfellsomewhereinbetween.Thereviewsweremildlyfavorable.Peopleactuallyshowedupatthereadingsmypublisherarranged.Thesaleswereunderwhelming.And,afterafewmonths,Iwentonwiththebusinessofmylife,certainthatmycareerasanauthorwouldbeshort-lived,butgladtohavesurvivedtheprocesswithmydignitymoreorlessintact.
Ihadlittletimeforreflectionoverthenexttenyears.Iranavoterregistrationprojectinthe1992electioncycle,
beganacivilrightspractice,andstartedteachingconstitutionallawattheUniversityofChicago.MywifeandIboughtahouse,wereblessedwithtwogorgeous,healthy,andmischievousdaughters,andstruggledtopaythebills.Whenaseatinthestatelegislatureopenedupin1996,somefriendspersuadedmetorunfortheoffice,andIwon.Ihadbeenwarned,beforetakingoffice,thatstatepoliticslackstheglamourofitsWashingtoncounterpart;
onelaborslargelyinobscurity,mostlyontopicsthatmeanagreatdealtosomebutthattheaveragemanorwomanonthestreetcansafelyignore(theregulationofmobilehomes,say,orthetaxconsequencesoffarmequipmentdepreciation).Nonetheless,Ifoundtheworksatisfying,mostlybecausethescaleofstatepoliticsallowsforconcreteresults-anexpansionofhealthinsuranceforpoorchildren,orareformoflawsthatsendinnocentmentodeathrow-withinameaningfultimeframe.
Andtoo,becausewithinthecapitolbuildingofabig,industrialstate,oneseeseverydaythefaceofanationinconstantconversation:
inner-citymothersandcornandbeanfarmers,immigrantdaylaborersalongsidesuburbaninvestmentbankers-alljostlingtobeheard,allreadytotelltheirstories.
Afewmonthsago,IwontheDemocraticnominationforaseatastheU.S.senatorfromIllinois.Itwasadifficultrace,inacrowdedfieldofwell-funded,skilled,andprominentcandidates;
withoutorganizationalbackingorpersonalwealth,ablackmanwithafunnyname,Iwasconsideredalongshot.Andso,whenIwonamajorityofthevotesintheDemocraticprimary,winninginwhiteareasaswellasblack,inthesuburbsaswellasChicago,thereactionthatfollowedechoedtheresponsetomyelectiontotheLawReview.Mainstreamcommentatorsexpressedsurpriseandgenuinehopethatmyvictorysignaledabroaderchangeinourracialpolitics.Withintheblackcommunity,therewasasenseofprideregardingmyaccomplishment,apridemingledwithfrustrationthatfiftyyearsafterBrownv.BoardofEducationandfortyyearsafterthepassageoftheVotingRightsAct,weshouldstillbecelebratingthepossibility(andonlythepossibility,forIhaveatoughgeneralelectioncomingup)thatImightbethesoleAfricanAmerican-andonlythethirdsinceReconstruction-toserveintheSenate.Myfamily,friends,andIweremildlybewilderedbytheattention,andconstantlyawareofthegulfbetweenthehardsheenofmediareportsandthemessy,mundanerealitiesoflifeasit
istrulylived.
Justasthatspateofpublicitypromptedmypublisher’sinterestadecadeago,sohasthisfreshroundofnewsclippingsencouragedthebook’sre-publication.Forthefirsttimeinmanyyears,I’vepulledoutacopyandreadafewchapters
toseehowmuchmyvoicemayhavechangedovertime.Iconfesstowincingeverysooftenatapoorlychosenword,amangledsentence,anexpressionofemotionthatseemsindulgentoroverlypracticed.Ihavetheurgetocutthebookbyfiftypagesorso,possessedasIamwithakeenerappreciationforbrevity.Icannothonestlysay,however,thatthe
voiceinthisbookisnotmine-thatIwouldtellthestorymuchdifferentlytodaythanIdidtenyearsago,evenifcertainpassageshaveproventobeinconvenientpolitically,thegristforpunditcommentaryandoppositionresearch.
Whathaschanged,ofcourse,dramatically,decisively,isthecontextinwhichthebookmightnowberead.IbeganwritingagainstabackdropofSiliconValleyandaboomingstockmarket;
thecollapseoftheBerlinWall;
Mandela-inslow,sturdysteps-emergingfromprisontoleadacountry;
thesigningofpeaceaccordsinOslo.Domestically,ourculturaldebates-aroundgunsandabortionandraplyrics-seemedsofiercepreciselybecauseBillClinton’sThirdWay,ascaled-backwelfarestatewithoutgrandambitionbutwithoutsharpedges,seemedtodescribeabroad,underlyingconsensusonbread-and-butterissues,aconsensustowhichevenGeorgeW.Bush’sfirstcampaign,withits“compassionateconservatism,”wouldhavetogiveanod.Internationally,writersannouncedtheendofhistory,theascendanceoffreemarketsandliberaldemocracy,thereplacementofoldhatredsandwarsbetweennationswithvirtualcommunitiesandbattlesformarketshare.
Andthen,onSeptember11,2001,theworldfractured.
It’sbeyondmyskillasawritertocapturethatday,andthedaysthatwouldfollow-theplanes,likespecters,vanishingintosteelandglass;
theslow-motioncascadeofthetowerscrumblingintothemselves;
theash-coveredfigureswanderingthestreets;
theanguishandthefear.NordoIpretendtounderstandthestarknihilismthatdrovetheterroriststhatdayandthatdrivestheirbrethrenstill.Mypowersofempathy,myabilitytoreachintoanother’sheart,cannotpenetratetheblankstaresofthosewhowouldmurderinnocentswithabstract,serenesatisfaction.
WhatIdoknowisthathistoryreturnedthatdaywithavengeance;
that,infact,asFaulknerremindsus,thepastisneverdeadandburied-itisn’tevenpast.Thiscollectivehistory,thispast,directlytouchesmyown.NotmerelybecausethebombsofAlQaedahavemarked,withaneerieprecision,someofthelandscapesofmylife-thebuildingsandroadsandfacesofNairobi,Bali,Manhattan;
notmerelybecause,asaconsequenceof9/11,mynameisanirresistibletarget
ofmockingwebsitesfromoverzealousRepublicanoperatives.Butalsobecausetheunderlyingstruggle-betweenworldsofplentyandworldsofwant;
betweenthemodernandtheancient;
betweenthosewhoembraceourteeming,colliding,irksomediversity,whilestillinsistingonasetofvaluesthatbindsustogether,andthosewhowouldseek,underwhateverflagorsloganorsacredtext,acertaintyandsimplificationthatjustifiescrueltytowardthosenotlikeus-isthestrugglesetforth,onaminiaturescale,inthisbook.
Iknow,Ihaveseen,thedesperationanddisorderofthepowerless:
howittwiststhelivesofchildrenonthestreetsofJakartaorNairobiinmuchthesamewayasitdoesthelivesofchildrenonChicago’sSouthSide,hownarrowthepathisforthembetweenhumiliationanduntrammeledfury,howeasilytheyslipintoviolenceanddespair.Iknowthattheresponseofthepowerfultothisdisorder-alternatingasitdoesbetweenadullcomplacencyand,whenthedisorderspillsoutofitsproscribedconfines,asteady,unthinkingapplicationofforce,oflongerprisonsentencesandmoresophisticatedmilitaryhardware-isinadequatetothetask.Iknowthatthehardeningoflines,theembraceoffundamentalismandtribe,doomsusall.
Andsowhatwasamoreinterior,intimateeffortonmypart,tounderstandthisstruggleandtofindmyplaceinit,hasconvergedwithabroaderpublicdebate,adebateinwhichIamprofessionallyengaged,onethatwillshapeourlivesandthelivesofourchildrenformanyyearstocome.
Thepolicyimplicationsofallthisareatopicforanotherbook.Letmeendinsteadonamorepersonalnote.Mostofthecharactersinthisbookremainapartofmylife,albeitinvaryingdegrees-afunctionofwork,children,geography,andturnsoffate.
Theexceptionismymother,whomwelost,withabrutalswiftness,tocancerafewmonthsafterthisbookwaspublished.
Shehadspenttheprevioustenyearsdoingwhatsheloved.Shetraveledtheworld,workinginthedistantvillagesofAsiaandAfrica,helpingwomenbuyasewingmachineoramilkcoworaneducationthatmightgivethemafootholdintheworld’seconomy.Shegatheredfriendsfromhighandlow,tooklongwalks,staredatthemoon,andforagedthroughthelocalmarketsofDelhiorMarrakeshforsometrifle,ascarforstonecarvingthatwouldmakeherlaughorpleasetheeye.Shewrotereports,readnovels,pesteredherchildren,anddreamedofgrandchildren.
Wesaweachotherfrequently,ourbondunbroken.Duringthewritingofthisbook,shewouldreadthedrafts,correctingstoriesthatIhadm
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