Giorgi Rekhviashvili

ENG 11000-B

03/04/2015

                

                                                     

In his speech “A More Perfect Union”,  Barack Obama starts off explaining how the founders of our nation made the Constitution creating all men equal, but not actually practicing that idea. Barak Obama is the son of a white woman and a Kenyan man, and there is much criticism amongst his opponents and supporters alike for supporting him purely because of his race. His former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, made comments that were very controversial concerning the issue of racism and creating much unease. Obama goes on to say that his former pastor is a good man, that he just has lived and grew up in a time where segregation and the Jim Crow Laws were very much legal in the United States. The anger and hostility of not being able to achieve something of oneself is felt not only in the African American community, but also in portions of the white community. Obama’s solution to ending this anger of racial disparity and discrimination is to work together to move past some of the terrible things that have happened, and take our lives into our own hands, taking responsibility for ourselves and future. We need to come together as a nation and improve our health care, economic system, and education.

After reading this speech I must say that Barack Obama definitely has some great points that made me really think about our society and how the older generations have really influenced peoples lives today. I live a middle class lifestyle, where I have the chance and the tools that I need to succeed right in front of me. I am very lucky, but at the same time I know that there are many other people out in our nation who are struggling to get by with the realities and hardships, (amongst other things), of affordable health care and stable, substantive employment, due in part by systems and policies we have set up. Obama’s solution to help create “a more perfect union” is to take self-initiative, take our own lives into our own hands and stop waiting for someone or something to happen in order for things to change. It’s a great plan, but saying things is always easier than to actually do them.

As for the issue of Obama’s race being a contributing factor to the amount of supporters he had gained throughout the election, I don’t think it’s smart for people to follow a candidate based solely on their race or ethnicity. They should follow them because of who they are and what they believe in, and what they believe he or she can actually accomplish for this country. I believe race will  realistically always come into the equation no matter what, but I don’t think that it should be the major factor on who we choose as our leader for our country.

When I read Obama’s speech “ A More Perfect Union” I felt his strong sense in defending his former pastor, demonstrating much compassion and loyalty. These qualities to me are very important in the leader of our nation. The pastor’s words were inappropriate and should not have been said, but the pastor does have a right to express his opinion as all Americans do, only perhaps he should have in a different setting. Also, everyone is human, no one is perfect. Wright was just expressing his opinion and of coarse it was spun, manipulated and blown up by the media politically. 

I think this speech was delivered very well and showed that Obama has some great things he wanted to, and wants to change in our country, including health care, economic and educational systems. I believe that its our duty as American citizens to come together and figure out what would be the best to improve the future for everyone of us, as well as successive generations. Black, white, red or yellow,every American should be equally entitled to make what they want out of life without the anti hated and limited traditions of racism which have hindered us in the past. It is time, and has been time, to create a more perfect union.