Change On The Way? Part 1 (Hey Texas and Ohio listen up!) (standard:Editorials, 1601 words) [1/2] show all parts
Author: Lori	Updated: Feb 23 2008	Views/Reads: 3341/2216	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
An editorial on the election. Just my point of view about what's going on while we make history. PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE!

Change on The Way? (Part 1) 

By: Lori D. L. 

As the election draws closer and closer we have to ask ourselves what is
best for this country. Do we want to stay with a party that elected a 
moron? Or do we want to think outside the box, make history, and vote 
for the man who's right for the job? 

Yes this election is about making history. With an African-American man
and a woman fighting for the Democratic nomination how could it not be 
about history? People. We have to think with our heads, not our hearts 
on this one. And yes that is strange coming from a woman who only 
thinks with her heart. But for once my heart isn't going to lead me on 
this decision. Barack Obama is the right man for this job. If the same 
could be said for the woman, I would be behind her. Hillary Clinton has 
had her time in the White House. Let's not have a repeat of the last 20 
years. 

I want new blood in the White House. I want someone who is going to
stand up for me, not the rich guy who lives down the street. I want 
someone to speak for me, not the oil tycoon who lives five blocks from 
me. I want someone who understands what it means to come from a... Well 
not poor family but we weren't rich either. We need someone who 
understands where this country needs to go. Not someone who understands 
where it's been. 

I'm going to hit on the issues closest to my heart. You can look up your
own issues on their website. I'm going to talk about what's important 
to me because it's important to a lot of us. Let's cut some nuts and 
get back to brass tactics and see what the candidates say about the 
issues. Civil Rights. Yes I'm a married, white, middle-class, female. 
That doesn't mean civil rights aren't important to me. I support civil 
rights for the simple fact that if it wasn't for my own civil right 
being fought for to vote, then could I really be doing this essay? 

"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the
streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of 
taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and 
cleaning somebody else's kitchen - they didn't brave fire hoses and 
Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren 
would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their 
vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by 
their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would 
be theirs. . . . We have more work to do."- Barack Obama, Speech at 
Howard University, September 28, 2007 

“It is abundantly clear that race and racism are defining challenges not
only in the United States but around the world. We have made progress. 
You can look at this stage and see an African American, a Latino, a 
woman contesting for the presidency of the United States. But there is 
so much left to be done. And for anyone to assert that race is not a 
problem in America is to deny the reality in front of our very eyes. 
You can look at the thousands of African-Americans left behind by their 
government with Katrina. You can look at the opportunity gap. So, yes, 
we have come a long way, but, yes, we have a long way to go. The march 
is not finished, and I hope that all of us, the Democratic candidates, 
will demonstrate clearly that the work is yet to be done. And we call 
on everyone to be foot soldiers in that revolution to finish the 
job.”-Source: 2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University Jun. 
28, 2007 

The Problem 

Pay Inequity Continues: For every $1.00 earned by a man, the average
woman receives only 77 cents, while African American women only get 67 
cents and Latinos receive only 57 cents. 

Hate Crimes on the Rise: The number of hate crimes increased nearly 8
percent to 7,700 incidents in 2006. 

Efforts Continue to Suppress the Vote: A recent study discovered
numerous organized efforts to intimidate, mislead and suppress minority 
voters. 



Click here to read the rest of this story (97 more lines)