No one can argue that the majority of the people in the Unites States of America decided to vote for “Change.” Without reasonable doubt, the American people listened with an open ear and a clear heart to Barack Obama over the course of twenty-two months. In the end, the voters came out in packs fighting for change and therefore spreading hope around the world. We can hope now! Fear is just a word that tried to destroy the American dream by a politician who gave nothing to Americans and the world but a check that has bounced. We are no longer scared of what is ahead. We will now have a leader that will clear our eyes and inspire the old and young to become involved with our families, our communities, our education, and our government.
Our new government has been chosen by the people and for the people—no longer will the doors to the White House be closed to us. For eight years, the Bush Administration has worked secretively behind closed doors puppetering our lives with a shaky hand. The constitution was silenced, and the voices of the souls still resting down at Ground Zero have not been quieted by capturing the evil doer of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. We have been shocked day in and day out at the incomplete planning of the Iraqi War. Our brave soldiers have fought bravely in Iraq and it is time to bring them home. In addition, the Iraqi Government has clearly stated that we must remove our troops by the first sixteen months of the New Year. Our new president will reestablish the reputation we once had but restoring the broken cords in the White House and he will make sure to give our soldiers back the hope and inspiration to fight the true terrorists and find Osama Bin Laden.
Our Government will be represented by a man that can walk in everyone’s shoes and listen with a bipartisan mind. Barack Obama will not be the Government; he will guide the government through the tough tasks that lay ahead. We know that the road ahead is extremely bumpy, but in the end, we know we will work together to restore the common purpose that all Americans were born to do. It is a purpose that was muted by a divided America, an America that lost hope. That hope has been revived in us through a new leader in Barack Obama. We are united once again, and aided by Obama’s leadership; we will redefine our purpose as we begin to rebuild our beautiful country and the rest of the world.
Last January, my husband and I took a trip to Baltimore, Maryland to visit the home of Edgar Allan Poe. It was a rainy day on the 19TH, the day that celebrated both my birthday and that of the dead poet. Poe has become a symbol of in my life representing my decision to become a teacher. It was an emotional visit to the Poe home where the poet and writer lived with his wife and his mother-in-law. After we visited Poe’s grave, we headed towards his home at the west side of Baltimore. As soon as we entered the town-homes-community where Poe’s home stood, we were greeted by decaying buildings, condemned homes, and vacant lots with piles of trash, stench, and some homes where we could clearly see that people vacated where held by extra bricks around the foundations. We even came across homes that had milk crates replacing the area where stairs once stood at their entrances. Most astonishing was the fact that people lived there! They lived in homes that lacked warmth, structure, cleanliness, and most of all safety. As we made our way towards the Poe home, I saw an African American young woman and two children head out of their home. One after the other, all three jumped down from the entrance and hit the sidewalk. When we walked closer we noticed why they had jumped. The entrance did not have stairs and in their case, they had not been able to grab a milk crate to make a replacement. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief and we made our way to Poe’s home.
Visiting Poe’s home was not what I expected. It had been a childhood dream to see where Poe lived and where his body rested. But after seeing the conditions where his home stood, I became even more determined to get Obama elected. I knew that this neighborhood was abandoned for many reasons, but it should take my visit to Poe’s home to see how much this neighborhood needs change. I had expected to dry with amazement at the sight of Poe’s home, but my tears were held back with worry about what would become of the families that lived in the area when the wickedness of winter attacks.
Upon my visit to Baltimore, I also sensed warmth by its people. When we made our way to the Main Market, we saw a people loving life even though they were tired of working so much for so little. We saw a determination to make life better, but I knew their resources where minimal. A whisper of community was present, but it had been muted by the absence of hope. Thanks to Obama, I pray that ‘hope’ will be embedded in the everyday lives of the wonderful people we meet at that Market and that a new sense of ownership will evolve. I hope this story helps the community where Edgar Allan Poe’s home lies and that its people get the resources they need to better their community.
When Barack Obama first mentioned he was running for president of The Untied States of America, I saw a change among my Ninth Grade African American students. I began to see a sparkle of hope in their eyes. I noticed that the majority of my Black students had a determined look in their eye, and many informed me that if Barack Obama became our 44TH president, that they would finally believe that they too can be president someday. I am proud that Barack Obama has become a symbol of hope and dreams, and he has also transformed the beliefs and attitudes of not only our African American population on campus, but so many others from different racial backgrounds.
Barack Obama may not know this yet, but he has changed my students. Some are still skeptical because of what they hear at home. But teaching in the middle of Central Florida, many of my young students who come from Republican homes asked questions about Obama. They were curious about him and whether he was a symbol to African Americans as Martin Luther King. Some questions where about issues they heard at home. For example, “Isn’t Obama a Muslim?” “Isn’t Obama an Arab?” “Why doesn’t Obama swear on the bible but on the Koran?” I answered their questions and in the end I was reprimanded for “talking politics.” However, I felt it my duty to make sure my students knew the truth. Our school became election addicted. Much of the attitudes had to do with the racial divides that tear us apart, and the rest has to do with the district’s censorship of the election itself. I believe that teachable moments were so crucial during this election—especially in our school with such racial tensions between blacks and whites. In a school where students so freely display the Confederate Flag on their clothing, I wasn’t shocked to see that we were muted on sharing the biographies of both Obama and McCain. What amazing stories they both are indeed.
Now, our students are even more divided than ever only because we failed to introduce the candidates. Our students are confused and angry that they are not allowed to speak about Obama or the election on campus. Many teachers are angry that our next president’s name is banned from campus, but yet the Dixie Flag has never been an insult to anyone. Our school is even more divided because teachers were not given the respect and the freedom to teach tolerance and the historical aspects of the election. We were not given the respect or the credit to implement in our lessons reading strategies, government policies, and economical perspectives based on the issues argued during the campaign. Again, our profession is not respected and our students deserve better.
As educators, we need the respect and freedom to teach our students tolerance and respect, and my school failed to do just that. As teachers, we need to make sure that our students understand the historical aspect of this election and what our next president will do to restore the flawed education system. We first need to clean house and get rid of teachers who still view race as a problem and not a solution to the divides in our schools. We need to make sure that teachers are measured by the growth of their students, not by the assessments of standardized tests. Barack Obama will listen to us and I am positive that he will make sure we are respected and appreciated all year round.
I am optimistic about our future, and for the first time in eight years, I can truly believe that America will come up for air. We have been drowning for so long that our breathing capacity has been suppressed, but now we can begin the catch our breath and slowly begin to repair all that was broken. I can finally hope that our communities will be guided and begin to reorganize for the sake of our future, I can hope that my job as an educator will become a respected field not just with higher pay, but with a higher trust. I can finally hope that our Government will not be something we are skeptical about, but it will become a representation of our beliefs and our dreams inspired by the leadership of our Forty Fourth President Barack Obama.
