Patience For Progress

In the midst of the Oct. 16 presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney, I found myself asking, “why can’t there be two presidents?”

You may find that a funny question to ask given that one candidate is obviously more qualified to run this country, but imagine what that would be like. What if both parties worked together instead of tearing each other down?

I like the sound of a political party called “The American People.” It would represent people of all ethnic groups that make up this melting pot we call the United States of America. Maybe that sounds like some utopian world view, but give the thought a chance.

Race: that’s another thing I’m tired of hearing play a role in the way people vote. I am a proud African-American, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy seeing the first black family living in the White House, but had I been old enough to vote back in 2008, I can promise you my vote would have counted for the person I felt would truly steer this country in the right direction.

It’s unsettling when I hear people of color say they’d vote for Obama because they don’t want “the white man” in office. Obama himself has been subject to lots of racial attacks since he took office. Will we ever live in a post-racist society? I think not. Not because I lack faith in the American people, but because in order to truly get rid of any sickness, it first has to be diagnosed. Some may argue that happened when the freedom papers were issued, but racism is embedded not just in American history, but the world’s history. America in particular has yet to come to the mourner’s table.

To bring my point of view full circle, I encourage you all to get out there and vote! I must admit I feel weird saying that because, until recently, I was  uncertain if I was going to. Like most people my age, I’m not as moved as I might have been four years ago. But one thing I will say is that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Anything worth having, you work at annually.

Obama warned America when he took office that four years wouldn’t be enough to fix all that needed fixing, yet the American people are rushing progress. I understand that people are concerned for the future; people are losing pensions and jobs, and still it’s hard out here. But if we don’t invest in the future, there won’t be one. We must trust who we put in office to do the jobs we elected them to do. Most of what I hear these days leads me to believe that Obama will be re-elected, but it’s kind of hard to tell. My head was spinning in so many different directions, I couldn’t even finish watching the debate.