Our Great American Experiment

8.25.2008

Well, after a short hiatus to chase some dreams, I am back with an entry for my ever popular blog. Sorry for being away so long.

What would I like to talk about first? The upcoming election of course. Not who I am going to vote for or who you should vote for but the ramifications of one outcome possible in the election and what that might mean for our future.

Just a disclaimer, some folks may not like some of the things I am going to lay out here but I feel very strongly that it's all the truth and I'm going to stick by it.

So what is this great American experiment that I want to talk about and that I am most interested in? Honestly, at this point in the election process, it looks like Barack Obama has a very good chance of winning the presidency of our United States. Although I do have some questions of his experience and what he will really do for us as citizens as far as energy and foreign policy, if he wins, I am looking forward to it. Why?

In the recent history of our country, in my point of view, the African American community has been a very troubled one. A community rooted in faith and in strength yet with many many broken families. These broken families bringing up men who don't act like responsible men and women who don't act like loving women. In turn, these broken families turn out many broken children who grow up to be gangsters (or wanna bes), criminals, or just lazy from being worn down by the constant struggle in their lives over where they think they should be, how they think they should be treated, or through thoughts of what others think of them. That's just wrong. It has been a constant recurring theme of certain neighborhoods and for some, an attitude that has actually been “passed down” from family and even some houses of worship. This must change. We've heard heroes like Bill Cosby and Tony Evans speaking to the problem secularly & sacredly yet it has not seemed to have a large effect on the population.

I for one believe that the African American community needs not better leaders but an increased number of better leaders. And not leaders that can talk the community into marches against gun violence, hatred, and staying in school by skipping school, but leaders that spur others on to be better men and women and to actually do something about it! And I might add, in a constructive way.

I think on that old cheesy show “Knight Rider” where they always said one man can make a difference. I think Obama may be that man. He's not alone though, we've all seen that his wife is a strong woman as well and might prove to be a good role model for the women as first lady. In the end, Obama may (I can't stress that word enough) be the best example for all people in our country. Time will provide the answers on that but this is the great experiment I am looking forward to examining over the next 4 years and perhaps 8 if it continues.

We definitely need change and we'll get it either way. Whether you vote for McCain or Obama, change is definitely coming. We just don't know what changes or by how great a margin. We all voted for change the last 2 times if I might say that, I think we can safely say that change was not a good one. It's the chance we take anytime we make a choice. We can only hope our choices are correct each time whether it's from a personal view or a national one.

What do I hope for if Obama wins the 2008 election though? What conclusion would I like to see at the end of this great social experiment? I would like to see the proven theory that great leadership does produce a great people and contributes to producing a great nation.

I would really like to see, if Obama wins, a strong leadership that he will have to give to the nation in order to get us back on track. I would love for him to concentrate some of his energies on being a strong leader for the African American community as well. I'd like to see him as a inspiration to that community, starting the long process of inspiring people to be better parents, kids to grow up looking toward higher goals, stressing the importance of taking responsibility and working hard to become successful as he has been. This is of course a long term longitudinal experiment though and we'll have to wait perhaps longer than 4 or 8 years to see the outcome but the changes could be so great. No matter what I think of him politically, personally, he has inspired me. I can only imagine what effect he might have on our nation or other countries.

One friend laughs when I bring this up. She believes that Obama will not make a difference no matter what. That's too bad. Perhaps we underestimate the power one person has. Even when that person is in a very important and influential position. Almost all of us want to make a difference in this world for the better, Barack's got a great head start on us all.