Is it correct to summarize Barack Obama’s historic run to become President of the United States (US) as the attainment of the individual right of a citizen to hold any job based on merit? Let it be so! I say it is proper that Obama becomes president for the triumph of the integrated society.

Indeed, once equal opportunity developed to the law of the land (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 42 U.S.C. §2000e-2.) the color of an individual’s skin became no longer significant; instead it is according to the content of character and life that a person seeking office should be held. Today, the US is at the crossroads; that is, should it seize this inevitable significance in human relations? Or should it delay this ultimate historic moment by rewarding the Republican Party with the presidency, knowing for the first time a woman, Sarah Pallin, Governor of Alaska, would assume the Office of the Vice President?

Therefore, to what could a win by John McCain be compared? It would be like going to the Olympics after years of practice to settle for a silver medal even though gold could have been won easily. No, the citizens of this country that pride themselves on the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness will not deprive themselves of Equality, the fruit of Liberty. Hence the Democratic Party having nominated Obama and Joseph Biden I see that this ticket has the potential to spread Fraternity rather Humanism among the various folk living in the US and the rest of the world with considerable segments of its population living in fear, hatred and warfare against each other.

Without doubt Equal Protection in the US is at hand. Lest the citizens forget that Obama has called for equal pay for women. Most important, with President Obama and Vice Pesident Biden the people who seek to climb the first step of the economic ladder by securing home mortgages will be assured that the financiers will not have free rein to engage in disingenuous and deceptive lending practices that rob them of the American Dream as it has occurred under the current Republican Administration. Needless, to say the people cannot hope the same from Republican Nominee McCain who does not even know how many houses his family owns while thousands of homeowners have been dispossessed.

Alas a McCain/Pallin co-presidency cannot be expected to grow the US economy and renew the prosperity that all the people want since McCain/Pallin do not seem to grasp that property is at the core of capitalism.

Finally, I am disseminating my observation on this year’s US presidential election because I see that Obama gets it; therefore, I support him wholeheartedly and would like to encourage others beyond my circle of influence to do likewise. For example, in Boston, MA; Obama’s demeanor and calm under the onslaught of the Republican Party has inspired many pre-adolescent, adolescent, youth, and young adults to the point that they have adopted his approach as best practice on conflict resolution and anger management. Indeed, his aspiration confers a sense of urban renaissance among many of the children and families that I have met. 

It follows for many community stakeholders, i.e., parents, organizers, activists, environmental campaigners, policy-makers, students, teachers, librarians, journalists, elected officials, philanthropists, workers, etc. the change that Obama has called need not wait his taking the oath of office. And further there appears to be general agreement on the lesson that his campaign has taught all of us. Interestingly, in thinking this lesson is bearing fruits and the US society will never be the same. Verily, the US society is becoming itself.

Dumas F. Lafontant
A member of the Massachusetts Haitian Artists Assembly, Trilingual Press, Pan-African Perspective, and a contributing writer to Tanbou.com
09-08-08 [rev. 09-09-08]

Diskou Barack Obama (Trad. E.W. Védrine)