Barack Obama: The Birth of Hope and Change

November 4, 2008, became a historical landmark for all ages. Millions of Americans as well as people throughout the world witnessed the first African American President get elected in the highest office of the United States of America. Many believed his time was now. America was drowning and had no idea if our country was ever going to rise above the waters, but from afar came a man with a vision. A ray of light was seen from the heavens, as a man by the name of Barack Obama stepped in with a sense of hope and optimism. In America, anything is possible. Obama was different from any other candidate, whether they were Democrat or Republican. Obama stood out from the rest in the sense that he brought back common sense politics back to mainstream America. He is a rare politician who can actually write and speak so eloquently. If you lack inspiration in your life, all you have to do is listen to him speak, and you will gain instant gratification. The time of troubles is only the beginning, but only time will tell whether the true measure of a man is based on his actions rather than his words.

Barack Hussein Obama was born August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents were Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham. Barack Obama Sr. was born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Ms. Dunham grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Barack Obama Sr. was a strong-willed educated man who went to Harvard to pursue PhD studies and then returned to Kenya. At times, he felt he was at odds with religion. At one point in his life he became an atheist. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. Mrs. Dunham then married Lolo Soetoro who was from Indonesia. Much of Obama's childhood was spent in Jakarta, where he attended school there. Obama spent much of the time learning the Indonesian language. He was enrolled in the fifth grade at the prestigious Punahou Academy, graduating with honors in 1979. Professors of the School were amazed at his intelligence as he sometimes would correct his teachers. He was only one of three black students at the school. This is where Obama first became aware of what racism was and what it meant to be an African-American. In his memoir, Dreams of my father, Obama described how he struggled to reconcile and accept social norms and perceptions of his multiracial heritage. He saw his biological father only once in 1971 after his parents divorced. Obama Sr. died in a car crash in 1982. This was a horrific time for Obama as he was a man in search of his own identity. He admitted using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years, as he called this tumultuous phase, a period of moral failures.

After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science. Barack Obama soon realized that his past was his ticket to a brighter future, one filled with hope and promise. He was able to excavate himself from the impending doom and dangers of his past and move on to a role he soon would wear well...

After working at Business International Corporation (a company that provided international business information to corporate clients) and NYPIRG, Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. He found his passion in working with the oppressed as he strongly believed that everyone deserved an opportunity to rise and conquer above the lower class. He believed in equality and justice for all. He worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in Chicago's Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city's South Side. It was during this time that Obama found his calling to the Lord. He joined the Trinity United Church of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal grandfather. Obama became a strong man and believed that he finally found a purpose and place in this world. He knew what he had to do. He became a man on a mission. He felt that he was the voice of the oppressed who for many years cried out for desperation and fear. For many years, capitalism had reigned supreme especially in the days of Ronald Reagan who believed in small government action. Obama believed that everyone had the opportunity to live the American dream like he did.

Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988. In February 1990, he was elected the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991. After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. Obama met his wife, Michelle, in 1988 when he was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin. They were married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side with their daughters, Malia born in 1998 and Sasha, 2001.

He soon began to find his passion in politics as he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. Obama's advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996 from the south side neighborhood of Hyde Park. He brought to the table many policies and ideas that at the time were fresh and innovative. Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He helped mothers who had children out of wedlock and who couldn't afford child day care while they pursued an education. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases. In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful attempt in a Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. It was a learning experience for Obama as he sat and observed a different angle, one that didn't consist of Chicago politics, but soon became interested in what Washington D.C. had to offer.

After the horrendous 9/11 attacks, Obama was an early opponent of President Bush's push to war with Iraq. Obama was still a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq during a rally at Chicago's Federal Plaza in October 2002. He felt that the 9/11 attacks served as a reminder that the "real" enemy was the Al-Quad a network and the notorious Osama bin Laden. Obama asserted that the war in Iraq was plain and "dumb." Obama watched President Bush's every move and soon became a thorn to the Republicans who felt that their party was losing, and the Democrats were rising thanks to the help of one Rahm Emanuel, who now serves as Chief of Staff in the Obama-Biden administration.

The war with Iraq began in 2003 and soon became an integral topic and focus for Obama as he decided to run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes. That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity, and made jabs at the Bush administration and the diversionary use of wedge issues. His famous, "We are not the red states, nor the blue states, but we are the United States of America," line became an instant smash at the convention. He was slowly giving signs of a potential threat to the Bush administration for their many years of failed economic policies and theories. The keynote speech was a huge success for Obama as his appearance and speech put his career into orbit. After the convention, Obama returned to his U.S. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was supposed to be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June 2004, following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual allegations by Ryan's ex wife, actress Jeri Ryan.

In August 2004, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, who was also an African-American, accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers and tax cuts. In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest electoral victory in Illinois history. Obama's historic win became only the third African-American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction. Barack Obama was sworn into office January 4, 2005; Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on several projects including: a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Obama also called on the aide and guidance of Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, as they created a website that tracks all federal spending. Obama was the kind of candidate who believed in bipartisanship as he modeled President Lincoln's formula of success. He didn't care for what party you represented as long as people in power played a positive influence on the lives of others. Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor, spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina, pushed for alternative energy development and championed improved veterans´ benefits. He also worked with Democrat Russ Feingold of Wisconsin to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress. He was a huge advocate of bringing back ethical practices back in Chicago, where the city is notoriously known for their crooked and shady politics.

In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. In every televised debate, Obama exuberated his intelligence and confidence. He answered every question with ease and was able to conduct himself in a civilized manner. He enjoyed debates as they demonstrated the concerns of every citizen of the United States. The main event of the Democratic primary came down between Obama and a powerhouse named Hilary Rodham Clinton. He was locked in a tight battle with former first lady, and former U.S. Senator, (who is now Secretary of State thanks to Obama who selected her for his cabinet) until he became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008. On November 4th, 2008, Obama defeated Republican presidential nominee John McCain for the position of U.S. President. This was by far the most heated election as of late. These two individuals battled back and forth as John McCain desperately wanted to become President of the United States. They exchanged negative attack ads especially McCain who attacked Obama on everything from his association with terrorists, to his lack of experience. If things weren't bad enough as it is, the economy took a turn for the worse in the fall of 2008 as Obama capitalized on McCain's weakness and poor knowledge of economics. The battle for presidency began with the issues of foreign relations which by many hailed McCain for his knowledge and experience in that area. As the tides began to change, McCain could do nothing as he witnessed Barack Obama get elected as the 44th President of the United States with a 349-169 electoral upset surpassing the 270 needed to win.

A new era of hope is upon us, and we shall witness what the next four years bring to every citizen of this great nation. For those who say they can't, they should be reminded that anyone can overcome any challenge and obstacle that may arise in our paths just as Obama did. For those who dream, dream BIG! The future is based upon what we have learned from the errors of the past, and hope to incorporate our life fulfilled lessons to the historical moment. It is important to remind ourselves the importance of being an American especially in this day and age where hope and faith seems to have dissipated. The present time seems dark and gloomy, but the future hopes to bring new ideas, and fresh political policies and theories that no President has ever done since Franklin D. Roosevelt. I will end this with a quote that Barack Obama said on the night he declared victory, November 4, 2008: "This is our time-to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream- and reaffirm that fundamental truth -that out of many we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can! Thank you, god bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."

Barack Obama inspired me to make something out of myself. When he got nominated as the Democrat to run in the 2008 General Election, I just had been released from The Roque Center, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Garden Grove, Ca. At that moment I decided to go back to college and finish my education. My uncle always told me, "Mario, whenever you start something, you finish it until you complete it! You never quit what you do!" Obama's words electrified my spirits as I became a man filled with so much determination and passion to go back to school. I knew what I had to do. For starters, I had to delete all of my contacts from my cell phone that were a bad influence in my life. Second, if I was going to return to college, I had to become involved with my school work and that meant no time for hanging out at the night clubs. Third, no relationships whatsoever! Most people can handle having to deal with the school load and maintaining a relationship at the same time. I can't! My life has to be in college. I have to finish it once and for all! I can't afford any distractions that would sway me away from my goals. I already had fun. It's time to focus on the future. I realized how much I got rejected in California for not having a college degree. Obama also made realize that there are more important things in life such as: helping the unfortunate, becoming a mentor to somebody who needs a hand, and using your mind to help establish better communities. "Yes we Can" also became my anthem!