Look How Far We've Come But We Still Have A Ways To Go

As tomorrow arrives, I am beyond excitement about the inauguration of my fellow African American brother Barrack Obama. But I am more ecstatic about the fact that men and women of color have value within the American society today. Each and every human being can freely express emotion within every state. No longer does the black man have to feel as if his rights and respect are determined by the region of the country in which he lives. Within the American government, every man is counted equally and every vote counts.
Unfortunately, a man of color may still feel exile in his own land. A human being that appears of middle-eastern decent cannot continue through a security check at an airport without being checked not once but twice or maybe even three times. He cannot walk through the mall and shop in peace without being watched by a security guard. Automatically, he is assumed to be a terrorist due to his appearance. Although we have made progress in terms of the black man, discrimination has just simply been passed along to another.
The non-violent approach I preached, on the steps of Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963, is sadly being ignored by Americans. Crime, poverty, and war outrage our globe. Brothers and sisters fighting against each other in gangs. A child cannot simply walk down the street in a color or style of his choice in Los Angeles without being assaulted by a gang assuming he was from the another gang. Everyday in the news, we hear and see of murders and wars instead of progress and the positives within the world. Even the authorities seek violence as a punishment by using the death penalty. Until we as Americans, can stop focusing upon violence and rivalry, we will not be able to truly understand Thomas Jefferson’s statement about the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.