The Dream Fulfilled; the Future of the American Promise

The Dream Dr. King spoke of in 1963 has had another chapter symbolically realized. It is a big day for black folks in this country, as well as all Americans that believe in equal opportunity and freedom. The election of Barack Obama also allows the rest of the country to accept the fact that there are bright black men that have the capacity to shape our future. It also allows the voices of so many other minorities to come into the fold, from different ethnic, sexual and religious traditions.

The possibility has now been realized; now the challenge for all in America is to expand the opportunities that have allowed a brilliant young biracial candidate to win the highest office in the land to all people through the investment in the middle class. The news pundits will highlight America's greatness as the impetus for an Obama; but as a young biracial man I know Obama himself has confronted and overcome many arduous obstacles to his current position; specifically, from his ethnicity and economic background. It takes a perceptive mind and a willingness to make yourself vulnerable and squietly assertive that allows for such an accomplishment to be realized.

It is also a time where a "silent majority" of Americans have put down the banners of cultural division and accepted the need to fundamentally change the way we as a nation present ourselves as leaders in the world. It is a time where "business before citizen" is no longer an acceptable refrain. It is a time where the true traditional values of hardwork through reinvestment in infrastructure, education and energy technology will bring us out of the trap set by a reliance on business tax incentives and overspending on wars that do not have a defined agenda.

However, the real work is yet to come from a policy perspective. Social injustice and inequality has not yet been addressed from a structural standpoint. We still have a disparity in the percentage of minority youths that grow up in destitute conditions. We still have problems with educational equality, opportunity and instutional barriers to scolastic and professional achievement. We have a healthcare system in the tank and two wars with no clear end in sight.

But most importantly, we still have a divide in this country that is still deeply ingrained in the American conscious. A dialogue must be opened and an army of the people raised to combat the social, economic and international challenges facing America post-Bush. We have put a man on the mountaintop; from that vantage point, now he must chart a course for the rest of us.

I open my heart to all Americans, from a liberal or conservative persuasion, to embrace a call for change that seeks to find solutions to problems instead of relying on fixed ideologies that have not served us as a country well. A kind of change that will encourage instead of dismiss. A kind of change that outstretches a hand to help others instead of ourselves. This is what I feel and believe Barack Obama has been trying to tell America for the past 2 years. This is an America I can be proud of.

Introductions....

Hello World!!!

Throughout the years, like many people, I have wanted to get my voice out there to discuss issues relevent to living a virtuous life. Of all the virtues, integrity seems to be the one that encompasses the rest, and is the most difficult to abide by. To be an honest and open person means to make yourself vulnerable and accountable to others. To learn and understand ethical and moral values that are constantly in conflict with each other is a difficult task.

Today's world is full of people trying to distort truth for their own benefit to the detriment of others. We spend most of our time in society trying to navigate the simplicity and distortion of life caused by irrational, short-sighted, and malicious people. This blog will discuss issues of philosophy, politics, spirituality, and life experience with an Eye of Integrity as a guide. I welcome you to my mind's eye.