"Yes We Can, Yes We Can"

Last night, I shed a tear. I watched someone who I have admired for four years become the presumptive nominee for the Democratic candidate to be President of the United States of America. Let me explain why this meant so much to me. First, let me tell you that if you are not an Obama man/woman, I hope that you will still read this. I'm not going to try and 'Change' your mind, but I want you to know how I feel - that's all.

I have mentioned before that when I was a child, my father told me these words "you can be anything you want to be, except President of the USA. No black man will ever be President." As you also may know, my father died two and a half years ago. Last night as I watched Barack Obama's amazing speech, I wished that my father could have been sitting next to me. I wish that he could have seen history being made with his own eyes. No, Obama has not won - yet - but he is at least half way there.

Now for some history. I first heard Barack Obama speak four years ago at the DNC. I immediately said "I think the Democratic party just nominated the wrong guy". I started researching him some more, and read his first book. I called two friends in Chicago to ask a little more about him. Then came that awful storm, Katrina. Why was this so prevalent in my support for Senator Obama? Because with all of the fighting and bickering, a voice from Texas amongst the misplaced residents of New Orleans spoke out loud and clear. That voice essentially said to put party aside, and help the citizens of the United States of America. Sold! I read his second book about a year and a half ago, and was hoping that he would run. He did, and here we are.

So, how did we get here? I asked myself a few years ago "can a black man really be President of the US of A?" Well, I remembered what my father had said, and thought it was just a silly far off dream. But, it was fun to dream. I could listen to Barack Obama speak anytime of day. My feeling four years ago is the same that it is today, and that is that I have never had anyone move me and give me 'Hope' the way that Barack Obama does when he speaks. I feel like there is a better way, a different way, a right way when I hear him. I don't feel like I am being fed a bunch of crap. So, yes it was a far off dream, but it was a dream that has come to fruition. Not because he is black, but because here is a man that can move walls and inspire millions who happens to be black.

Iowa was way back in January. He won in a state where black people are far and few in between. Fast forward to Kentucky. Hillary won in Kentucky where 1 in 5 white people said they would not vote for Obama because he is black. Well, what the hell do they know about anything anyway? They have one horse race a year, and a pretty good basketball team. When Tubby Smith was their first black coach, he got death threats until the day he left the campus of the University of Kentucky. 20% of registered white voters will not vote for him because he's black huh? Hm, interesting. I think that they are just salty about a basketball game 40 years ago in College Park, MD.

Has America turned 'that' corner? No. Have we as Americans grown and lost some of the ignorance's of our parents and grandparents? Yes. We don't have to agree on a Presidential candidate to at least agree that it is a good day in America when a black man (or a woman) can be President of the United States. It's a good day in America when we now know that we can tell our daughters and sons of any race that yes, you too can be President of the United States.

Barack Obama had to have a Secret Service detail assigned to him earlier than any candidate in the history of this country. He has received many more death threats than any other candidate in history. Are we a perfect nation? No. See the stats of Kentucky above to prove that. Here is what we are though, we are a country that says that every man is created equal. We have now, as a nation, proved that when it comes to the highest office in the nation, this right is true. We still have a long way to go, but we are going in the right direction.

Let me leave you with two small notes. The first has to do with Barack Obama the candidate. My wife and I were at a cookout a few weeks back and I shared with a group of very wise individuals that my biggest compliment to Obama was that he disagreed with the gas tax holiday. Now, here is why: You had the other two candidates in the big race agreeing with this ignorant idea. He went against them which could have destroyed his run. He could have been buried, but instead he had politicians from both sides of the aisle say "Obama is the only one who is getting it right". He went out on a limb for what he believed was right, and he got backing from both parties. The second is this: I have a buddy who is a self proclaimed redneck, who listens to country music, who can't stand Democrats (the politicians, not the people), and oh who by the way told me two days ago that he is voting for Barack Obama. Huh? I guess he is one of the Obamican's that I have heard about. He knows who he is, so I won't call him out! It just shows me that when you sit down and listen, really listen, you can vote for the right person, not the right party.

Until I write again...