BlackCollegian.com

Barack Obama for President of the United States of America

I am proud to support Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. I am also proud, for the first time in my life, to be an American. I am proud to be an American because America, to a great extent, is finally overcoming its racist past by selecting a Black man, Barack Obama, as the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States of America.

I never dreamed I would see the day when a Black man would be a major party's nominee for President. However, I clearly remember America's racist past. I clearly remember the day when my brother told me that German prisoners of war, the enemy, could eat in New Orleans' restaurants when Black people could only be served through the window. I remember the day when my school books were hand-me- downs from white students. I remember the day when I had to give up my seat on the bus if there was no seat for a white person. I remember the day when three little girls were killed in a bomb blast only because they were Black. I remember the day when dogs were made to attack Black children during civil rights demonstrations. I remember the day when Black people had to take a test to exercise our right to vote. I remember the day when Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed because he was a Black civil rights leader.

While I was not proud to be an American, I was proud to be a Black American when Black people succeeded against the odds. I was proud when Jackie Robinson hit a home run. I was proud when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight championship, or when Jim Brown ran touchdowns. I was proud when Black people excelled at all sports, and especially tennis and golf. I was proud to be a Black American. I was more proud still when Blacks cracked the glass ceiling in corporate America and some major corporations selected Black Chief Executive Officers. Then, I started to think that America was moving beyond its racist past.

When a narrow majority of voters re-elected George Bush, America hit "rock bottom." That's when Americans woke up and realized that they had to look beyond skin color. They realized that they needed to push for real change if they wanted to save America.

Barack Obama has accurately diagnosed America's ills and has astutely articulated the required treatment. He understands the magnitude of the required treatment but he says that change does not come from Washington, change comes to Washington.

He says, "... this election has never been about me. It's been about you." So, America has finally selected a Black candidate based upon the content of his character rather than the color of his skin. That makes me proud to be an American.

So what will Barack Obama, as the next President of the United States of America, do to fix this great nation?

Barack Obama said he will:

• Meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy
• Invest in early childhood education
• Recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support
• Keep our promise to every young American - if they commit to serving their community or country - to make sure they can afford a college education
• Give every single American affordable, accessible health care coverage - the same coverage that members of Congress give themselves
• Cut taxes for 95% of all working families
• Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-ups
• Stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas
• Start giving tax breaks to companies that create good jobs right here in America
• Set a clear 10-year goal to end our dependence on foreign oil
• Tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology and find ways to safely harness nuclear power
• Help auto companies re-tool so that fuelefficient cars of the future are built right here in America
• Make it easier for the American people to afford their cars
• Invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewal sources of energy
• Change the bankruptcy laws so that pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses
• Protect Social Security for future generations
• Keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work
• End the war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan
• Renew tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression
• Build new partnerships to defend against the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease
• Restore our moral standing so that America is a respected world leader again Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States of America, with your help.

As Barack says, "This election [is] about you." So, you must adopt the attitude of, "If it is to be, it is up to me." We can make this happen; we will make this happen; we must make this happen. Barack has come a long way without our help. He has taken the ball down the field, and he can see the end zone. We have to help him take the ball across the goal line.

We have to do more than vote for Barack, we must work for Barack. We have to get involved. We cannot let anyone steal another election. We can't afford another four years like the past eight. Barack must have a landslide, a mandate. So, we have to get involved in the organized effort and play an active role. As a start and as a constant reminder of the job at hand, take the cover off this magazine and put it on a wall where you will see it every morning. This is your personal poster. Every time you look at the cover, ask yourself, "What will I do today to help Barack Obama become the next President of the United States of America?" Go to www.blackcollegian.com and send this cover to everyone you know and tell them to do the same thing. Tell all of your family and friends that you want Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States of America and what you are doing to make that happen. Get a commitment from them that they will do the same thing. Impress upon them that this election is too important for them to just vote, they must work. The work must be done on your campus, in your community, and on your job. Go to www.barackobama.com and get involved, volunteer to do whatever you can. We need to be involved in the voter registration drives. We need to register as many people as possible before their state's registration deadline to be eligible to vote in the November 4th election. On November 4, our number one priority is to vote and help as many as possible to get to the polls to vote. We need to make sure all of our friends and relatives volunteer to do whatever is required by the campaign.

We need more disciples. We have to go out into the highways and byways to convert everyone to the Obama campaign. We are on a mission. Everyone needs to get involved, "get on board..." We believe Barack Obama is the best candidate to be the next President of the United States of America. We believe in Barack Obama and we cannot rest until he is elected President of the United States of America. On November 5, 2008, we want to read the newspaper headlines: "Barack Obama is the Next President of the United States of America." Then we will all proudly shout, "God bless America!!!"