The writing on the wall

AVAAZ, meaning Voice, is "the world's largest on-line advocacy network" with 20,000 new members joining each week, apparently, most of us having heard about it from a relative or friend; it was my daughter who persuaded me to join about a year ago and I, along with thousands of others, mostly hopeful, have just sent a message of encouragement to Barack Obama on a "virtual wall" that AVAAZ has named The Obama Inauguration Hub. Messages are being posted at a prodigious rate from all over the world, so that mine dropped off the bottom of the screen within minutes. I wonder who will read them (I doubt if the President will have time, although I think people have decided to participate in this are under the impression that he's open to suggestion) apart from the like-minded members of this organisation. An even more imaginative ploy by AVAAZ was to erect a real wall for writing on, in a very public part of Washington, when Mr Obama was first elected.

I don't know whether this sort of action changes minds, but at least the impulse is there and it's indicative of a worldwide longing for change. Some of the people writing on these walls are immoderately emotional and many say "Don't let us down, Mr Obama!"—a terrible burden for the man. It's interesting to see that very few messages relate to the colour of his skin. I've just taken another look at the Hub, and someone has posted:

Obama please talk about compassion as a new weapon.