Today is Martin Luther King’s Holiday and one day before President Obama’s Inauguration, so I thought I’d post something that’s fitting for both celebrations.

Say what you will about President Obama, the one thing you cannot deny is he is truly a devoted and loving father.  The Parade magazine recognizes this characteristic about our President and asked him to write a letter to his daughters, as well as every other child in America, to showcase this awesome trait in our President.  As usual, President Obama showcases how truly eloquent he is as it relates to verbal, and now written, speech.  Don’t believe me?  Read for yourself:

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad 

I think we can all agree that we have some serious problems in America, but like the song says – and we all hope – change is going to come.

Change is in the air and hopefully we can remain an optimistic nation.  It isn’t just the surprising emergence and election of Barack Obama, we needed optimism anyway.  It is almost as if we can only go up from our current situation.  There seem to be so many things wrong it is difficult to list all the things that need to be fixed.  This prompts me to ask, what do you think is the worst problem in America?

I will answer for myself and say the family is the worst problem in America.  Children in intact nuclear families are statistically better off in virtually every way.  But it is an unfortunate reality that many children will not have a mother and father in the household.

1 out of every 4 teenage girls has at least one sexually transmitted disease!  With our current awareness and the availability of products to prevent this, I think this is an absolutely ridiculous statistic.  Oh, and whatever happened to teenagers NOT having sex?

A lower fertility rate, higher divorce rate, questionable morals and other family issues lead to what I think is the foundation to many other problems in America.  At the rate we are going we could vanish off the face of the earth!

If we want to fix our country I believe we need to start from the bottom up.  We need to start, literally and figuratively, at home.  What do you think?

I’m sure your first thought was, “Yes, he can and he was just elected to do so” and you would be right on both accounts.  But read on and you will see what I’m talking about, hopefully agree and if not state your case as to why not.

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by influence and recognition. The President leads the executive branch of the federal government; his or her role is to enforce national law as given in the Constitution and written by Congress. Article Two of the Constitution establishes the President as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and enumerates powers specifically granted to the President, including the power to sign into law or veto bills passed by both houses of Congress. The President also has the power to create a cabinet of advisers and to grant pardons or reprieves. Finally, with the “advice and consent” of the Senate, the President is empowered to make treaties and appoint federal officers, ambassadors, and federal judges, including Justices of the Supreme Court. As with officials in the other branches of the United States government, the Constitution restrains the President with a set of checks and balances designed to prevent any individual or group from taking absolute power.

I read this a few times and didn’t see anything in there about the President being for or against a particular race.  You may ask why I’m mentioning this and the reason is I feel as though some people believe President Obama will lean toward black people.  That would be a monumental mistake.

• Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about equality.  A land where black kids and white kids could play side-by-side.  Nowhere in his words does he mention a black person presiding over several races with a bias leaning towards those who have the same color of skin.  People lived and died equality.  Shame on anyone who thinks the president is going to lean towards black people.
• Let’s say President Obama was to lean towards black people.  That alone would set black people back so far it may take hundreds of years to rebound.  Is four years of advantage worth equality for the rest of our lives, our childrens’ lives and our childrens’ childrens’ lives?  I think not.
• On a lighter note (pun intended), Obama isn’t completely black anyway!  If you want to really talk about equality, how about a president who is both black and white?  Along with equality, people need to stop letting a percentage of African-American blood be the deciding factor.  We are truly becoming a melting pot and a President with mixed heritage might be appropriate representation of the United States.
• Because Obama is a Black man who managed to obtain the most important job in America, the President of the United States, he represents hope to a significant amount of Black people.  But what Black people have to remember is that President Obama represents hope for ALL people, not just one race of people.

Without a doubt, there were people literally dancing in the streets when the results came out, but I hope they were rejoicing for the right reasons.  Reasons like equality, change and the knowledge that our country is willing to do the best thing for our country, regardless of race, should be the soundtrack for this Presidential two-step.

We have witnessed and are poised to be a part of a historic time in our country.  We, people of all races, have overcome one of the biggest hurdles ever.  For that we should be proud.  But if people are happy just because we have a black president I have news for them:  Barack Obama can be a black president, but he cannot be a Black President.

I’m getting a late start today so let me jump right in.  Everyone likes to speculate, right?  So today, let’s speculate on …… well whatever:

1)  What If….. Obama wins the White House?

2)  What If….. McCain wins?

3)  What If….. Everyone practiced what they preached?

4)  What If….. People didn’t judge others?

5)  What If….. America was a communist country?

6)  What If….. Racial hatred didn’t exist?

7)  what If….. You lived forever?

8)  What If….. People were content with what they had instead of wishing/wanting more?

9)  What If….. Poverty didn’t exist?

10) What If….. Slavery never occurred?  What would America be like?

I know, I know.  Some people will say they don’t base their life on ‘what ifs.’  And that’s cool.  But, if you did, what are some ‘what ifs’ you would ponder?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this…..