Comments on the Re-election of President Obama.
As a general rule, I try not to discuss politics or religion, because people can become so passionate about both. Today, I do have something to say and I think it is fitting to say it on this, the day of our President's inauguration . I feel that we, as Americans, are part one family, the American family. Out of love, there are some things that families must discuss for the good of the whole. I think one of the biggest problems we face as a nation is that we see ourselves as separate bodies, when we should be one. If we are expected to succeed as a nation, it will take all of us working as one body. Last year proved that some of us are willing to destroy this country first, to disprove our president, and second, for both party and personal agendas.
Of all the negative things I heard last year, and there were many, this one stuck out the most for me. Someone went so far as to say this country is "Going to hell in a hand basket." Well, to you I say, if that is the case, it surely wasn't because of the President. He inherited that hand basket when he took office. Now everyone expects him to work miracles. Although he is a talented and industrious president, he is not a miracle worker. People want him to fix in 4 years what those before him could not fix. It amazes me the expectations people have placed on him.
In 2009, I was so elated by the election of our first black president, but I found myself a little bit apprehensive. I wasn't sure america was ready to take that step. As the years of President Obama's term played out, it became clear to me that not much had changed. I think the nation and the world were shocked by some of the things that transpired in Washington. It was an embarrassment to us all. You know, as an american citizen, I am so tired of the political games. We are all residents of this country, and as such, whatever happens affects us all. To me, there is but one thing that matters. Years ago, our forefathers promised every man, regardless of his station, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every man was guaranteed a right to live his life free from fear of social duress on the basis of class, color or creed. In so doing, our forefathers changed the face of this country. Yes, we have made great strides in this arena, but what I see is that, as a nation, we are beginning to falter on that decree. I see a nation declaring its victories while millions of its countrymen live in defeat. As an American, I took the promises of our forefathers to heart. When our fellow countrymen made that decree, they said no to the lies, hypocrisies and deceptions of our past. As Americans, we can't rest until things are as they should be, because, America, that was the decree. America, it's time to put aside our party differences and our personal agendas and prove that we, as Americans, have the ability to stand together, united, because in the words of the great Stevie Wonder, “We either stand together or fall apart.
To all the nay-sayers
And player-haters
Those who stab me in the back
And do nothing but attack
You can call me names
But I proclaim
It does not matter what you say
You can’t take my blessings away
You can talk until you turn blue
I know what you're saying is not true
That’s all that matters to me
In the end, nothing you do will affect me
You see, I’m not trying to please you
By the things I do
I'm only trying to win the fight
For what is right.
Unfortunately, there will always be those
Who will turn up their nose
And have nothing positive to say
All the time getting in the way
Attempting to choke my God-given creativity
With negativity
I sometimes grow weary of the fight
Who cares who is right?
It’s a shame that we can’t appreciate one another’s gifts
Learn how to uplift
Encourage each other’s individuality
Instead of being so petty
If we never get past our doctrines and ideologies
We’ll never save our communities
It will take all of us working together
To get through stormy weather
There is no room for division
Among religions
This is not the time for arguments
It’s not the time for the erection of monuments
There is no room for pretense
What I need to know is this
How do we stop the violence?
Eliminate crime.
Improve education?
And build better schools?
What do we have to do to save your children and mine?
How can we help the homeless man on the street
Give him food to eat and put shoes on his feet?
These are the solutions we need to seek
We are running out of time
We need to stop hollering about restitution
And work together to find solutions
There will be no restoration
Without communication
If we continue to fight one another
We won’t get any further
We can go on complaining in vain
And things will remain the same
For where there is division
There is no vision
P. Newman-Harris