What the hell is that you ask? Well this is my campaign to get Barack Obama in office. Now before you get your panties all twisted let me explain. I have two reasons why and they are very good reasons. Reason number 1 is because he is cute. At least cuter than Hilary and anyone else running and the second reason and the most important reason is because he is bi-racial. His father is Africian and his mother is American.
Okay, maybe that is not a good enough reason to elect someone to office. But in my family I have 2 nephews and a niece who are bi-racial. These 3 small children changed the total dynamics of our southern family. Growing up my father was one of the most prejudice people that i knew. The town I grew up in was home to the KKK and Gilley's until the late 80's. The fact that we never saw a african american the whole time we were growing up never occured to us. We never knew that they were not allowed in our town. I found this out when I was 18 and it was very hard for me to understand. But I still saw nothing wrong with it.
Then my sister came along and grew up in a totally different world than myself and 3 brothers. She was born into a time when young people were ignoring the race rule and dating and marrying anyone they wanted. It did not matter what color they were or where they were from to them they were just other people. When we found out Debra was pregnant it knocked us all for a loop. First off she was only 17 and second it was by her ex boyfriend who was african american. Our biggest fear was telling daddy. But knowing my daddy like I did I knew no matter what he would never turn a baby away. One thing I can say about my daddy is he loves every child he comes across and none more than his own grandchildren. I truly believe he would lay his life down for any child in need. I was right on target, when Joseph was born January 20, 2000 (1 day after my birthday) he was the apple of my daddy's eye and still is; so are Devin and Danae.
However, it is hard to find a good role model for bi-racial children. There are great role models of African Americans (Oprah, Bill Cosby, Aretha Franklin, Usher, etc.), but it is harder to find bi-racial peopl; there is Tiger Woods; who is amazing and a great person; he is bi-racial and married a white woman. But unless you are into sports you probably don't know much about him. There are others as well actors and musicians but never has there been a President.
Who is better known to the children of the world but the President of the most powerful country of the world. For Joe to know that the President of the United States has a white mom and a black dad just like him and he is proud of it would be something I would love to see. I want my nephews and niece to grow up proud of their heritage and I want them to continue to tell the world about their heritage.
One draw back to being white is that we forgot our heritage. Unless you are 100% native american you came from somewhere else; another country and for a few that I know I think another planet. Either way we all have a heritage but most white people forgot theirs or don't know it. African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Latinos, Native Americans, etc. they all know they came from somewhere else and they embrace their ancestors and what their ancestors gave to this world be it music, food, dancing, singing, whatever it was that they brought into this world to make it a better place. They know about it, they love it and they share it with their children. I don't have that, I don't know anything that my ancestors brought into this world other than kids. They did not pass down any family wisdom, not family history, not family secrets, no stories of the homeland, nothing.
So in order for my nephew to be happy with who he is and to be proud of who he is I am sending my slogan along to all my fellow Americans. Say it loud and say it proud
Vote "O" for Joe