Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

Obama is the one

Americans expect and deserve much more from their government than they currently receive. The rising costs of health care, gas, mortgage interest rates and college tuition for children continue to strain family budgets. Those who are able to stay afloat financially are the lucky ones. Many have lost their jobs through downsizing and outsourcing, and have been forced to find work for less pay. Valuable resources that could relieve the plight of the people are wasted on a misguided war in Iraq.

The policies of the administration in Washington have not been oppressive to everyone. Those in the top income brackets have grown unseemly wealthy at the expense of the wage earners. The income gap between the richest and the poorest Americans has widened to historically broad levels. For many people, the present policies in Washington have turned the American dream into a nightmare of deprivation.

One aspect of the American dream is the belief that through hard work, children are able to move up the income ladder and earn more than their parents. Now this is true of only 37 percent of white children and a mere 17 percent of black children, according to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Many hard-working families see their fortunes moving backward. Is it any wonder that many people are losing hope?

To make matters worse, America has lost the respect of people around the world, the value of the dollar is declining, and analysts predict that an economic recession is imminent. These conditions intensify the difficulties that people already face. However, America is blessed. At times of great distress, a leader with the capacity to revitalize the nation always steps forth. Today, that leader is Barack Obama.

Obama has called on Americans to have hope for change because he knows that change will come only if they are confident about their future and are encouraged to mobilize to change their lives. There are already numerous sound proposals to remedy present conditions, but they all die in Washington because there is no leader able to marshal the force of the American people. As the success of the civil rights movement has taught us, there can be no substantive change without the loud and unrelenting voice of the people.

Of all the candidates vying to become the next president, only Barack Obama has demonstrated the vision necessary to enliven the nation. He appeals to men and women of all races and all ages, and to Democrats, Republicans and independents. Fortunately, Obama also has the intellect, education, experience and integrity to function effectively as president of the United States.

Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he also served as president of the Law Review. An expert on constitutional law, he understands profoundly the powers of the three branches of government: legislative, judiciary and executive. And most importantly, his experience as a community organizer in the neighborhoods of Chicago and his years in the Illinois Senate give him an uncommon human touch.

He has also earned the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the U.S. Senate. His early life in Hawaii and Indonesia give Obama an intimate understanding of how to live harmoniously in other cultures.

Obama has campaigned with integrity and authenticity. He has not made false promises because he knows that change will come in Washington only with negotiation by a strong leader who has the support of the people. Of all the candidates seeking the presidency, only Obama has the charisma, the intellect, the experience and the integrity needed for change. Voters ignore this fact at their own peril.

The Banner enthusiastically endorses Barack Obama for president of the United States.

“Obama is the candidate for real change.”