Barak Obama

With all this controversy on Barak Obama giving the speech to students last week I thought I'd put my two sense in as the perspective as a student. First of all, I am definitely pro-Obama. I like where he comes from and how he's beaten the odds against everything he's been up against. I think he's definitely a great role model for students all across America. When starting in the presidential election, he went up against all the critics saying that because of his race, and his family ancestry, that it would keep him from being elected as president. He proved them wrong. Like he said during his speech to the students of America, he said that he was home-schooled by his mother at 4:00 in the morning. He had chances, just like all of us, to slack off, and do nothing with his life; he could have been like the rest of the people in his family and not have gone to college. He did though. He worked his butt off, and did everything he could to get INTO college. He was the first in his family, and I find that very inspiring.
I have found myself, leaning towards the democratic side of politics, since I’ve been old enough to pay attention. I agree on all kinds of levels that change needs to happen. Exactly which way is the best, I’m not sure, but I know it needs too. And, President Obama is making something happen. For an obvious example, the troops in Iraq, he is finally evacuating. I know there is also a lot of controversy on this subject. Yes, I don’t think that Iraq is ready to defend themselves, but yes, they don’t need the thousands of troops that are there right now. Afghanistan is a whole other animal. Personally, I don’t know why we have troops there, but I don’t pay much attention to that in news. (I know, I know, shame on me, people my age should pay attention to the news, and watch it every day…yeah, yeah). But, again my personal feelings, half the stuff on the news is none of my business, and none of yours either. Especially when they start talking about Michael Jackson’s children’s custody and Jon and Kate Gosslin fighting it out over each other. We know things like this are going on, but it’s like opening your window or peeking over your fence to hear what your next-door neighbors are fighting about. It’s just not your business, and it’s for them to deal with on their own, and they don’t need our opinion on stuff.
Anyway back on topic now…On the day of the speech PARENTS took their kids out of school to MISS the speech. Why? WHY?! I think it was so stupid that a parent would not want their child to see the president and hear what he has to say, at least out of respect. When President George H. Bush gave a speech to the students of America, people went crazy, in a GOOD way. Now, President Obama is doing the same thing ENCOURAGING students to STAY in school, and you’re taking them out of school? I don’t know about you, but doesn’t this all seem a little weird and blow out of proportion? I am shaking my head right now trying to understand what goes through some people’s heads sometimes. (Okay I just sat here for two minutes trying to think what to say next).
Besides the fact that President Obama is a great public speaker, I think his speech was really good. It wasn’t one of those boring I’ll-just-use-a-bunch-of-big-words-ever-other-word that put us to sleep, or have us frantically looking through the dictionary looking up the words we don’t understand. It was a genuinely good speech, even for those of us who haven’t tackled those college course English classes. He showed he was a human too, vulnerable to taking the easy way out of things. He showed that despite what his parent’s had or hadn’t done, what his parent’s parents have or haven’t done, wasn’t going to define him. He beat the odds. He didn’t take the easy way out. He could’ve, but didn’t. He made mistakes, and look where he is right now, living in the White House and being a great president.