Why Barack Obama Should Be President (Final Revision)

There have been claims that Senator Barack Obama doesn’t have the experience necessary to become President of the United States. In fact, I have heard so many unfounded claims as to why he should not be President, that I decided to write an essay as to some of the reasons why he should become President, but I must first explain why the Senator’s heritage makes him uniquely representative of what it means to be an American.

Barack Obama is the son of a white American and a Black African; his family is a plethora of color, culture and race. Despite America’s history of slavery and segregation, it has been known as “the land of the free” even though many of it’s occupants have lived with the burden of prejudice and the despair of injustice. Nonetheless, there have been individuals between then and now who have trudged forward beyond the circumstances of their times, believing that all people are made in God’s image and should be embraced in loving kindness and mutual respect. Barack Obama is one of those people.

From the beginning, Barack Obama has attempted to encourage Americans to transcend our past; understanding that if we want true freedom, freedom from the circumstances that overwhelm us today,we must look within ourselves to initiate change. Through his mission of hope, he compels us to believe that if we want change to occur, we must work together to make it happen. Barack Obama is the only candidate that has expressed hope as a tangible force that is carried within each of us. The other candidates have boasted what theywill do for us if they are elected; lower taxes, improve health care, protect us all from the threat of terroism…but not once have they stated that we can only accomplish this together as a nation.

In addition to his message of hope, Senator Obama has worked in many facets of service; he has worked as a community organizer in low-income neighborhoods in Chicago, he has worked as a civil rights attorney focusing on voter and employment rights, he also currently serves as Senator of the State of Illinois. As Senator, he created the Stop Fraud Act, the first federal definition of mortgage fraud that increases funding for state and federal enforcement programs to assist in preventing faulty lending practices. The Stop Fraud Act also helps homeowners to avoid foreclosure by providing counseling services to better understand the terms of their loans.

As President , Senator Obama states that he wants to change foreign policy by effectively communicating with other world leaders; he believes that  “strong countries and strong presidents” should be able to speak to their adversaries. He refers to a statement that John F. Kennedy made while he was President as comparative to his belief: “We should never negotiate out of fear, but we shouldn’t fear to negotiate.”

 Early childhood education, after-school and summer learning programs, as well creating better gun control laws are all concerns that Senator Obama would like to change with the help from the American people. Doubling funding for initiatives like the 21^st Century Learning Centers and initiating programs like Step Up, a program started to support summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations, is also at the forefront of his plans in renewing the country.

Above all that I have mentioned here, Senator Obama has shown great integrity in this campaign. He has not been dishonest or grandiose; he has not attempted to take advantage of his opponent’s mishaps or misrepresentations; he has remained steadfast in his mission, not allowing himself to be deterred by the criticism of naysayers. I believe Senator Obama is sincere about changing the face of America because he understands and respects that the “American Dream” can be obtained by all people. Through his mission of change, I know that we can and will benefit from his presidency.

Add a comment April 26, 2008

Word Play or just plain ignorance? (Final Revision)

Radio talk-show host Bill Cunningham recently made slanderous statements against Senator Barack Obama during a rally for Senator John McCain. Cunningham called Senator Obama, “a hack, Chicago-style politician.” In addition, Cunningham used Senator Obama’s full name, Barack Hussein Obama, three times referring to the Senator as “the great prophet from Chicago.” In what can only be determined as an attempt to remind his audience of the occurrences of September 11, 2001, Cunningham has repeatedly called Senator Obama, “Senator Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama” during his nationally syndicated radio broadcast; Mohammed is not a part of the Senator’s name.

Interestingly, Cunningham had this to say during an interview with CNN:

“His name is proudly Barack Hussein Obama and people that object to that, they’re the racists. They’re the ones objecting to the name Hussein. I revel in it, I worship it. I for one, regret that John McCain is the nominee of the conservative party, because John McCain is not a conservative. He ought to be attacking Obama politically and not Bill Cunningham, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.”

Whyshould Senator McCain only be attacking Senator Obama?  The last time I checked, Senator [Hillary] Clinton was also in the race. Why is Cunningham’s focus solely targeted toward Senator Obama?

At one point I believed that Americans were ready for change and that race, color and creed no longer seemed to be “hindrances” in our efforts to begin anew in treating all people with equality and respect. I was wrong. Can you believe that people from the audience actually laughed and applauded Cunningham’s statements? Why are people laughing at what was clearly an attack on Muslim heritage?

As a society, we must rebuke those who continue to degrade, disrespect and dishonor people because of their backgrounds. We must question our intentions as well as the intentions of others. As long as people like Bill Cunningham are tolerated, our potential  to become a unified nation, a nation that embraces all people regardless of the color of their skin or their religious preference will never manifest…

Add a comment April 26, 2008