Obama’s “Bigger Than” Speech

Not too many Americans may have watched or listened to

Senator Barack Obama’s speech this week in the city of

brotherly love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But if you missed

it, you may have missed the most monumental speech, given

on race, in our country in the past forty-five years. The speech

outlined in a most eloquent way, the different aspects of both

sides of the issue, and what we as American people, of both races,

can do to elevate the conversation and find solutions to the real

perceptions and problems that exist currently in our society.

Senator Obama took a head on approach to, what he feels divides

many of us, in the way we view different issues regarding race. He

spoke to the people as adults, and laid out his version of what is

wrong, and how we might find solutions for those problems, so

that we may move forward as a Nation, healing ourselves in the

process and forming a more perfect Union.

The Senator spoke about the very real perceptions, that people both

black and white have as individuals in our society. Those things

include the feelings by African-Americans, that they have in large

measure, been left out of the American dream, of being marginalized

in obtaining jobs, which pays a livable wage, so that they can support

their families, and leave some form of wealth to their children.

To see

their child obtain an adequate education, so that the child might be

able, through that education, in turn, support his family in the future.

Also to be able to afford a mortgage, that would pay for a decent

house in a decent neighborhood.

On the other side of the prism, white Americans view things in a

different light, why should someone come in, based on, fairly

or unfairly, an Affirmative Action program, which will give a job,

that he or she might have gotten, to a person of color. Or that

his child would have to be bussed to a school across town , based

on integrating a National school system, that is fairly or unfairly,

not providing an adequate education to all children. Or that a

welfare system is geared to helping certain people, while he or

she, has had to make it on their own, without any systematic

assistance. This is all viewed as having an unfair advantage,

that helps one but not the other, when they feel, that everyone,

should have to make it on their own, as they have tried to do.

Surely this is kind of a simplistic view of the deeper problems

existing in our society. But these are some of the things, Senator

Obama touched upon, as having to be addressed, in some form,

if we are to move on and solve other problems that exist, such

as health care for all, a better education system for all, stopping

the outsourcing of jobs to overseas markets, and ending the war

in Iraq, so that the money being spent there, can be used, to help

the country with repairing and improving our infrastructure,

help to invest in job creation and other methods which will

shore up our economy. Ending the war would surely stop the

terrible loss of life of our military personnel, this would take

very strategic planning and great consultation with many

experts.

Senator Obama’s main point on the subject of race, was

that we as a people, black and white, must try to walk a mile

in the other person’s shoes, broaden our horizons, then maybe

we will be able to have a fair assessment of the problems facing

us as a Nation, and hopefully, lead to fair solution, but only if

we are willing to discuss these things, even with the pain it

could cause, otherwise, we push it aside and go on without

trying to reach a more perfect Union. This speech may be a

start to that outcome, we will have to see what follows in

the coming days, months and years. This process is going to

take a great deal of time, to even begin to understand, process

that understanding, and effectively reach a better place for all.

God bless us all, everyone.