A Defining Moment for the Nation to be Healed

The United States of America has come to a defining moment in its history and its citizens will be challenged to maximize it by making a political decision that may change the nation and the global environment for years into the future.

A defining moment is a period of time that a nation, country, people, community, business or individual faces that is unique and different from all other periods.

This moment may not even be recognized and can pass without any significant event or decision taking place and may never return.

The nation though prosperous has serious disparities especially along racial lines and can be healed if the chosen political leader can gain the trust and confidence of the people and members of both houses.

This moment presents itself in the form of Senators Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton from the Democratic Party and John McCain from the Republican Party.

All three persons bring unique qualities to the position, with Senator McCain possessing excellent military experience competing with the eight years first lady experience of Senator Clinton and the charisma, intellectual, oratorical and inspirational abilities of Barak Obama.

Senator Clinton has the support of her husband if chosen but this can also be a liability based on some of some of his past actions including NAFTA and the Monica Lewinsky issue.

The question is whether the electorate will look past the negatives of the past and chose Senator Clinton past on her own abilities?

Is the nation ready to choose a female to be its President after over two hundred years of male domination?

Can she bring healing to the racial divide and make the USA a truly united country?

John McCain has over fifteen years political experience on the floor of the senate as well as a creditable military experience to lead the country.

However at 72 years of age can he last the four or even eight years that is available assuming re-election?

The fact that the current president belongs to the same party and is highly unpopular may be a strong negative for John Mc Cain in his campaign to win the nomination and bring healing to the nation in this defining period of time.

It is also a challenge to impress the people to vote for him while he supports the war in Iraq which is consuming billions of dollars that could be used to offset the current economic recession.

But will the nation overlook these negatives and choose this man as the president who can best lead them is the real challenge at the moment?

Barak Obama an African American graduate from both Harvard and Columbia University is charting a journey that no one of his race has ever done before. He is highly placed to bring the healing the people needs due to the fact that he has been on both sides of the racial divide and may be able to appeal to both parties.

Symbolically he himself has been a success and this can serve as motivation to the blacks and other groups that they too can achieve if they work hard and make use of opportunities.

Will the whites and blacks trust a man who seems to be a hybrid of John F.Kennedy and Martin Luther King?

This is another real challenge in this defining period of time when the nation needs to be healed.

The racial divide has made significant progress over the years but not enough to greatly impact poverty, health insurance, homelessness, unemployment, merit based upward mobility, and education.

Here comes a candidate with the unique qualities telling the diverse nation that “YES WE CAN”, and all of a sudden the message starts to reach the hearts and minds of many who seem hungry for the inspiration.

Blacks especially and other races have been hurt by slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of discrimination over the years, and has for the most part internalized it, while being suspicious of most whites at times.

They need healing.

Many whites are fearful of retaliation and will segregate for their own safety despite obvious trends to the contrary. They amassed great wealth, some at the expense of the slaves and the underclass and transmit it downwards generationally, thereby maintaining dominance.

They need healing.

Other minorities like the Hispanics have suffered immensely from low wages, discrimination, and unfavorable immigration laws. They would like to change their position and be part of a more united country where upward mobility is achievable.

The hurting nation overall is at war and are daily helping Iraq and Afghanistan to heal their political and economic problems. The doctor is sick internally but is externally trying to heal others.

It won’t work unless the physician first heals himself.

These three leaders are mindful of the task ahead and seem prepared to lead the country into the future but who will be chosen in this defining moment to carry the mantle?

A healed nation will help to reverse the many wrong mindsets of the past and bring changes to decisions that gave one race advantage over the other economically and socially.

Changes in attitude can and will result in increase opportunities for greater employment for those on the lower rung of the social ladder. Increase in employment will help to increase the living standards and overall health of the economy.

But will America chose the right leader to guide such developments?

The right choice will have global impacts overall because other countries may be more impressed with our democracy and may conduct more business with us, thereby increasing our foreign earnings.

Increasing our foreign earnings will lead to more jobs being created and greater economic activity and wealth generation overall.

The Special Interest and other racist-oriented forces will try every possible way to prevent the type of leader required to achieve the level of healing and improved standard of living.

The old policy of divide and rule is still being practiced but in more sophisticated terms.

However with continuous interactions of these leaders, America may be able to rise up in this defining moment of time and vote for the person they believe can best take them to the mountain top.

Muhammed Ali is a good example for this moment. When he came on the scene, he said “I am the greatest”.

Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson and George Chuvalo tried to stop him but they all failed.

Then all of a sudden everybody start to pay attention and believe that he was the greatest and that he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

He went on to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Barak Obama may if given the opportunity in this defining moment, become the President of the greatest nation of the world and may no doubt speak at the United Nation telling them “YES WE CAN”.

John Mc Cain may rise up and say we defeated them in Kuwait, Iraq, Panama, and Grenada and Afghanistan and we can defeat them anywhere. We are the strongest military force on earth and we are capable of protecting ourselves from any terrorist organization.

He may even go on to say that because of our military strength we have created an environment where our people Black, White, Hispanics and other minorities can feel safe and be very productive at the same time.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter at heart and can say that I have fought for and succeeded in getting high quality health care, and education for all Americans and I am prepared to help other nations.

Perhaps they will believe and impact on the global problems of poverty, sickness, desertification, drought, genocide, and corruption.

Will America respond to this challenge in this defining moment in time and make the choice that will make this healed nation a more united and greater in its achievements presently and futuristically?

Only time will tell whether this moment was properly utilize.