Obama left a moving comment on a 'Humans of New York' photo from Iran

[NYC Liberal]

A recent photograph of an Iranian father and his young son posted to the popular "Humans of New York" Facebook page caught the attention of US President Barack Obama.

And on Thursday, Obama — who is presiding over the biggest thaw in US-Iranian relations in decades — left a comment on the post, saying it "really resonated" with him.

In the original post, the Iranian father wrote about how he knew he was "raising a humanitarian" when he realized his then-5-year-old son had given away 2 pounds of fresh apricots on their walk home.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-comment-on-humans-of-new-york-photo-2015-9#ixzz3kk0pnrqV

Today’s his tenth birthday. He’s a very emotional young man. He likes to solve other people’s problems. One time when he was five years old, he came with me to the store and we bought two pounds of fresh apricots. I let him carry the bag home. He walked a little bit behind me the entire way. After awhile, I asked him to hand me an apricot. ‘I can’t,’ he said. ‘I’ve given them all away.’ I knew then that I was raising a humanitarian.

What an inspirational story. One of the most fulfilling things that can happen to you as a parent is to see the values you’ve worked to instill in your kids start to manifest themselves in their actions – and this one really resonated with me. I hope this young man never loses his desire to help others. And I’m going to continue doing whatever I can to make this world a place where he and every young person like him can live up to their full potential. (And if I ever get to meet him, I hope he’ll save me an apricot!)

[NBachers]

1. These are the people we're supposed to incinerate?

[ornotna]

2. What?

They don't look like terrorists to you?

Gives you a glimmer of hope doesn't it.

[valerief]

16. No Jesus, no passes. It's the Mer'can way. nt

[Cha]

3. Thank you, NYC Liberal!

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Don't you wonder what 'the Donald' would have posted?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. He would have expected the kid to SELL them and handed his father wholesale + 2%.

[bonniebgood]

5. Wonder what the Senator Nutinyahoo Big Brother of New York Shumner

and Congresswoman Dump Debbie Schultz of the DNC would have posted?

[pampango]

6. "He likes to solve other people’s problems." Sounds like an Iranian Democrat.

"I hope this young man never loses his desire to help others. And I’m going to continue doing whatever I can to make this world a place where he and every young person like him can live up to their full potential."

Sounds like an American Democrat.

[randome]

17. It should be: "Sounds like an American." {full stop}.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[alfredo]

7. Knr

[Hissyspit]

8. Big fan of the Humans of New York Facebook feed.

Last edited Fri Sep 4, 2015, 09:13 PM - Edit history (1)

The ones from his oversea trips are amazing - he actually saves peoples lives by getting their stories out - but somehow I missed this one!

[Massacure]

9. The message is signed "bo".

I'm impressed. Our Commander in Chief has a talking dog.

[montana_hazeleyes]

10. lol

[IHateTheGOP]

11. Obama = class act.

[Delphinus]

12. Yes. n/t

[tabasco]

14. We have a great President.

I'll hate to see him go, but he's already talked about the great things he wants to do after leaving office. It's been miraculous how he has achieved so much with the republicans in complete opposition to everything he's done.

[Sunlei]

22. We do have a great President & it is miraculous how much work he continues through EO.

He just made another eo, for paid sick days. Last I read, after he's done, Obama family will live in the WashingtonDC area.

When he's 'free' in the public sector, I think Obama will achieve even greater things for all 'the people'.

[oberliner]

15. I guess they didn't really need the apricots?

Seems like a weird take on what the boy did.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Or they actually DID need them

Which makes the father's reaction even more interesting.

We've been trained by billionaire philanthropy to think that philanthropy is about giving away some generated surplus. Maybe care and equity are actually about sacrifice after all.

[oberliner]

19. But then why is President Obama asking the kid to save one for him?

Aren't there people in much greater need of an apricot?

I thought the point of the story was that the boy gave them away to the needy rather than keeping them for his own family, which presumably doesn't really need them that badly.

The response just seemed like it missed the point of the story - which is that the boy specifically should not save an apricot even for his own father, let alone for the POTUS.

[NBachers]

20. Obama is just creating an imaginary sharing and bonding moment with the boy & with his father.

He's making a gesture to facilitate American people and Iranian people being brought together.

[mountain grammy]

21. Very Presidential..

in spite of our differences, I'm sure going to miss President Obama.

[Hulk]

23. This is the man we have as President.

I don't hear any updates on Jimmy Carter. I'm guessing Barack Obama is going to be "the second coming of Jimmy Carter", in that he's not going to sit on his ass and paint picture of the family dog, like the dufus that we had for 8 years prior.