The Importance of August 28th

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. On what should have been the opening dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial on August 28, 2011, today's entry will be about the significance of the day August 28th itself in American and thus worldwide history. On that particular calendar day, three key events would shape the American Civil Rights Movement, a struggle where the youth and visionaries of that generation would change the navigational course of traditional "decency", equality and freedom. In chasing that tide of directive change, the courage of that generation- and those before them who had to suffer worse indignities- is very profound, as I surely cannot accurately fathom the level of disrespect and inhumanity they faced on a normal basis. With this in mind it could be argued that August 28th be viewed as a Civil Rights Memorial Day of sorts, as events on that day through the years would galvanize then stregnthen participation in both the movement and its following legacy.

August 28, 1955- the Murder of Emmett Till


A little over three months before Rosa Parks' defiant standing up through sitting in the whites only section of the bus in December 1955, fourteen year old Chicago native Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi for the "crime" of whistling at a white woman. Taken late at night from the home of the relatives with whom he was staying, Till- in the last moments of life and first moments after death- would endure ghastly mutilation to his body by egotistical murderers who not only took his life but sought to take his humanity and manhood through such disfigurement. The latter goal would not be achieved, as Till's mother displayed his body and story in an effort to show how badly America needed to change in its race relations. Though it would be a few months before more Americans would begin to heed and spread this message- as Till's murderers would later confess to their crime as unrepentant free men- Emmett Till would become a cataclysmic symbol for such truth, justice, and sadly enough, growth.

August 28, 1963- Martin Luther King, Jr., Shares his Dream


Eight years into the Civil Rights Movement, the March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Using the march's platform for civic and economic growth as well as for its push towards legislation for voting rights, one of its prime leaders would vividly announce the intended goals and aspirations the movement itself aimed to achieve for present and future societies. In his riveting "I Have A Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., uses allegorical references from literature, religion and politics to speak of a possible society that overcomes bitter prejudices to engage with diverse cultures in achieving equal harmony. What strikes me most about the speech is King's near clairvoyant delivery; in switching from the written text to literally freestyling, he confidently uses his preaching gifts to have the crowd further envision his idealistic agenda as he speaks it. As with its brilliant orator, the "I Have A Dream" speech has its invaluable place in history -in its case as a spoken blueprint for modern tolerance and togetherness.

August 28, 2008- Barack Obama Accepts the Democratic Nomination for U.S. President


Fifty-three years to the day after Emmett Till's murder, forty-five years to the day of Martin Luther King, Jr., delivering his "I Have A Dream" speech, U.S. Senator Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. Obama, a humble yet charismatic politician from Illinois, had began to captivate Americans and their potential votes through speaking about a committal to progressive change towards a better quality of life. He would also captivate through his keen sense of history, as other memorable dates and scenes in this country coincided within his journey to the White House. This certain August 28th event marks an event of change in America itself, as it shows a culmination- not the total culmination as there is more work to do, but a culmination- of evidence of efforts towards relativity through diversity.

The heroic life, work, and legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would cause fellow Americans to memorialize him in the nation's capital. Although the dedication of his memorial did not happen on the forty-eighth anniversary of one of his greatest moments as was originally planned, keep in mind that the three previously described events on August 28th would help to transform ideas, thoughts, and possibilities for future generations. As I stated above, the Civil Rights Movement caused great changes that greatly accelerated our cultural and even spiritual growth, and today it reminds us to always work towards the best ideals for ourselves, our people and our societies.

Well, I think that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until next time, peace out.

The Daring Audacity of President Obama

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. In the spirit of American patriotism, today's entry will be about our current Commander and Chief, President Barack Obama. With the election year of 2012 on the horizon, Obama's chances of re-election are met with both anticipation by supporters and speculation by critics. We are left to ponder his chances of repeating victory; can he run the immaculate, well-oiled race again amidst the publicized doubts of his tenure in office over the last two and a half years? Right now the answer to that question splits down the middle, as those who believe Obama's best efforts are constantly constrained by "old school, politics as usual" government have as much power in their vote as those who believe his policies have since worsened the situation America was in when he first stepped into office. Nevertheless, most on either aisle can't (legitimately) dispute Obama's commitment to the American people, and in my opinion he is the most hardworking President I have seen thus far.



Barack Obama's race for the presidency in 2008 was nothing short of legendary, as his combination of fabled biography and idealistic vision led voters to view him as a symbolic hero within a matter of months. His was a style I call being so "classic it's original", as he had an grand backstory similar to that of Lincoln, a destiny that is aligned with the dream of King, the youthful optimism reminiscent of Kennedy, and had ahead of him a mountain of tasks to complete as Franklin Roosevelt did. America excitedly welcomed this type of heroic projection while facing the crises of downsized economy, rising gas prices and unemployment rates, and fighting in wars that were deemed unnecessary and unpopular. With the slogan "Yes We Can" as a battle cry, candidate Obama's main appeal to the voters was in rejuvenating their desire to join in the American process, poignantly reminding them that they must cite and enact the change they want seen rather than waiting on others to do so first.

In the two and a half years that Obama has taken office, he has worked towards fixing America's problems both domestic and foreign. However, his proposed plans and policies towards this effort would be met with resistance, mostly by a more conservative faction of Congress that claimed his agendas would be overexpensive and ineffective. This would lead to sparring between these conservatives and the liberals that supported the President's agendas, in turn making Obama become, unintentionally, the most polarizing figure in modern American politics. For the sake of having these policies go into active movement, Obama would go to compromise with Congress, even going as far to keep the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy (that he vowed to eradicate once in office) extended so that unemployment benefits for the middle, working class could be extended longer as well. Even for all his compromising and diligent efforts, the midterm elections of 2010 proved to be against the favor of Obama's Democratic party, as more Republicans were voted to Congressional seats.



After enduring such political defeats, Obama would gain a resurgance of popularity and confidence from the American people beginning in early 2011, its main catalyst being his order of raid and assassination of terrorist Osama bin Laden proving successful. This action would be Obama's crowning achievement in office (thus far); until his fatal capture, bin Laden had been elusive to worldwide law enforcement for the nearly one decade after the 9/11 attacks on America. This career victory would give Obama more clout to respond against critics who had previously questioned his competence and commitment to the presidency, as well as those who repeatedly (and foolishly) questioned his true nationality. I must admit that I enjoyed seeing this President wittingly address these opinions, as his responses were respectful yet defiant.



As the 2012 presidential election will soon be upon us, I beleive that Barack Obama will guide his campaign with two main factors; the first being his trademark, pop-culture styled accessibility to the American people, and the second being a showcase of the positive changes he made in America since being elected in 2008 (new reform on health care, finding services that creates new jobs, the capture of bin Laden). No matter what your opinion is of Obama and his policies, you must admit that he has gotten the American people to pay more attention to our country's problems and intended solutions more than any other President in recent history. One must also admit his bravery in being a "pop culture President", as he could far more easily be booed at public outings by the audience he works for than by the Congress he works with- and the fact that he doesn't get booed while appearing in these outings by the American public must mean that a great percentage of them must recognize his effort to change things for the better. I know Barack Obama can't entirely run the immaculate, well-oiled race again in 2012, but nevertheless I still believe in his chances for reelection due to the sort of idealism, accessibility and dignity he exemplifies.

Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until next time, peace out.