I'd like to see the Obama campaign turn the Ayers story into one that fits the message of his campaign: The audacity of hope. They could do so with a statement such as this:
William Ayers was a young man in radical times who took a wrong turn onto a despicable path of violence. He eventually turned himself into federal authorities and was processed by our legal system. Since then, he has tranformed into a respected educator and awarded community activist. The Annenberg Foundation, the founder of which is a Republican, saw fit to award Mr. Ayers $50million for education reform in Chicago. The board of the organization was made up of Republicans and Democrats alike. Given Dr. Ayers' civic history since his deplorable acts as a young man, Obama supports his community works and accepts that people can reform and become productive members of society. The alternative is to isolate and ostracize anyone who has ever done anything bad and, therefore, create a hopeless society discouraging people from reform. We applaud Obama's recognition that Mr. Ayers has transformed and serves his community. His actions encouraging someone to stay on the path of constructive community participation speak to his audacity of hope for all of us.
Bill Ayers' work in education has been supported by the following foundations: the MacArthur Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, the Annenberg Foundation, Readers Digest, and the Chicago Public Schools. He has been awarded Citizen of the Year in Chicago.
However damnable his violent acts in his youth, he clearly has become a valuable citizen. This is something we should see as a sign of hope for humanity. A beacon of faith in the possibility of transformation. People from all strips of politics have come to support his work because it is good work.
Rather than vilifying him as the essence of all that is evil, we might consider how it is that he turned from violence and decided to walk a more constructive path. We might learn from him how to help others in our midst become productive citizens rather than burdens on society.
Can't the Obama campaign construct a narrative of hope out of this? Do we have to be so afraid of low-minded people who can't see past one moment in time? Who want to portray people as comic strip characters typecast as good or evil with no trajectory of a life that can embrace change?
Come on! Ayers is a quintessential example of the audacity of hope!