Yasser Arafat, who received this prize in 1994 comes to mind, and now Barack Obama.
While neither one of these gentlemen achieved peace in their lifetime, the Nobel Peace Prize is undoubtedly losing its esteemed luster.
— Victor Goldstein
Clayton
What will Obama expect next?
Re “Obama’s peace prize a ‘vote of confidence’,” Oct. 10: Do nothing? Win the Nobel Peace Prize! Apparently Barack Obama is the equal of Mother Teresa, Albert Schweitzer, and Martin Luther King Jr., having just received the Nobel Peace Prize. He may even be their superior because the Peace Prize committee decided he merited the honor less than a year in office.
Comparatively, it took that loser Mother Teresa 45 years of hard labor among the sick and dying before she earned her place among the great.
President Obama has one measurable accomplishment. Since taking office, the United States is viewed more favorably in international public opinion polls.
Unfortunately, our enemies don’t like us any better. Attacks against our troops in Afghanistan are much higher than under President Bush. Iran is still enriching uranium and now does so from secret military bases. Scores of terrorists still inhabit our country.
In answer to this, the Peace Prize committee admits they are giving Obama the award now, in hopes this will motivate him to advance peace in practical ways later. Meaning, he hasn’t actually earned the award yet, but he is so wonderful, they are sure he eventually will.
The main problem with honoring Obama for doing nothing is that he will expect the same treatment in the future. I fully expect his cadre will seek a monument erected for him on the Washington Mall, alongside the Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt memorials. This entitlement mindset inevitably develops in those who are given too much, too early, for too little.
— Terry Stanard
Dayton
Other nominees more deserving
Here are several Nobel Peace Prize nominees who were on the short list. They included an Afghani women’s rights activist who ran schools and clinics in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime, risking her life to educate and provide medical treatment for Afghani girls.
Another nominee was a French-Colombian ex-hostage held prisoner for six years.
An additional nominee was a Chinese dissident imprisoned for 17 years for opposing the communist system in China. Another Chinese dissident was also nominated, this person was sentenced to a 3½-year prison term for “inciting subversion of state power.”
A Congolese physician was also nominated who has dedicated his life to assisting Congolese women and girls who have been gang-raped.
The last nomination that I found consisted of two organizations that work to clean up land mines in war-torn regions, preventing death and injury to innocent civilians who would step on the land mines.
Many of these nominees have been doing their valuable work for years. Our president has talked much, but accomplished little, in the way of promoting peace.
Did the committee award the prize for future achievements? Perhaps President Obama should have declined the prize and asked to be considered again in several years, when he actually has a record of accomplishments to consider.
— Kathryn Cameron
Centerville