Barack Obama is now the 44th President of the United States of America.
While I never thought such a feat was outside the realm of possibilities, I did think it would be more difficult, especially when one considers America's racist past. But I feel Barack Obama was able to do it because he got us to focus on our mutual interests rather than our past points of division. He understands that he isn't the black American President; he's the American President.
As the American President, Barack Obama is braced to do some great things. He has already set in motion a chain of events that will hopefully lead to the mending of our strained relationships with individuals in the Muslim world. But more than anything, he is showing us black Americans that we have to believe in white Americans' capacity to turn over a new leaf.
President Obama seemingly is not blind to the ongoing mistreatment and marginalization of black Americans; he just knows that you cannot have constructive dialogue with white Americans if your critical words are always being used to place them on the defensive. He also knows that the human family is much broader than the black and white communities. It also includes other communities of color. These other communities of color are also in need of our attention because to go on ignoring their existence is to disown a member of the family.
Barack Obama represents America's best opportunity for leading the campaign to reconstitute the human family. As the American President, he is the leader of the free world. Unlike outgoing President George W. Bush, he is willing to meet with the leaders of other nations, encourage them to adopt nonviolent approaches to settling their differences. Most of us support such an approach, but others aren't able to get to where we are because they can't push through the bitterness that comes from losing loved ones in senseless wars.
But we all know that the dead cannot be resurrected from the grave. All that remains are the living, those individuals who are actively pursuing peace and tranquility. Yes, it does hurt to lose loved ones, and our hearts go out to the families that have lost them in wars from yesterday and today, but isn't the preservation of life a more worthy goal?
What do you think? I look forward to reading your responses.
Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW
www.jefferyafaulkerson.com
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Tuesday, January 20th 2009 at 11:24PM
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