Thank you Colin Powell....

Although Colin Powell has classified himself as a Republican, I still have a plethora of respect for him. Not only did Powell endorse at the time Senator Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign, but Powell finally took a shot at his own party for their childish attacks at President Obama. Powell stated that the GOP should be attacking Obama's policies, not other unnecessary things. Attacks on President Obama's religious affiliation and United States citizenship are "child’s play." There is clear documentation that President Obama is a citizen of the United States, and President Obama has stated many times that he is a Christian. Why are questions still coming up about his personal issues? Personally, I believe it is time for the GOP to run a clean race and fight an honest fight. There is no reason to attack the morality of our President.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1750964.shtml?cat=639

Burning the Koran: Right or Wrong?

Does Pastor Terry Jones really have the right to burn the Koran? Well the issue is a question that requires an ambiguous response from every individual. Legally, he is not committing a crime. But is burning a Koran socially unacceptable? In a little document that we call The Constitution, amendment one guarantees America the right of free speech, press, and assembly. Pastor Jones is working within the law,and so is the issue that brought forth the burning of the Koran; Muslims want to build a mosque on ground zero. Is that still a good reason to burn the Koran? Personally, I believe that Pastor Jones has the right to do what he wants to do. I don't condone his actions, but America is based off our freedoms. Would I burn the Koran? No. There are too many ramifications. What if Al Qaeda decides to take burning the Koran as a threat to them? What if Muslim Americans find it degrading, and it just elevates the already mortal tension between Christians and Muslims? But do I believe I have the right to do so? Yes. In the end, Pastor Jones potential actions boil down to two ideas: pride versus protection. Is Pastor Jones going to stick to his word, or is he going to look at the future of the nation and the possible results of burning the Koran?

Its Our Time to Step Up

Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech addresses the still mortal race issues that African Americans and the country as a whole continue to face. It is time for African Americans to step up and do something about this racial epidemic. As African Americans, we can improve U.S. race relations by simply releasing and letting go of this built up anger from continued discrimination that eventually turns into rage. Letting go will gain the African American race respect. President Obama(at the time, still Senator Obama) brings forth this issue when explaining Rev. Wrights comments. Wright belittled the  United States and accused the government of hate crimes against minorities. Obama states that Wrights comments came from built up anger that can be attributed to the racial tension between African American society and the predominantt race of America, the Caucasian society. What we (I include myself also because I am an African American) as African Americans need to do is let go of our predetermined thoughts that our "rights" will be handed to to us on a plate. We will continue to struggle if we continue pouting. There becomes a point where we have to make our minds and say “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” It’s a very common cliché, but it’s the truth. There has to come a point where we realize that we can't be angry anymore, and that the only way we will succeed is to build a foundation of knowledge that can then be passed on to our future generation. That means we have to get 33% of black men that live in the “State Penn” and get them into “Penn State.” Only then will we be able to improve race relations. We have to show that African Americans are able to acquire the same level of knowledge that Caucasian Americans receive. When we become Chief Executive Officers of Fortune 500 companies, other races (not just the Caucasian society) will recognize our worth and contribution to the prosperity of this country. But present and future generations have to build off the success already obtained by African American scholars such as Martin Luther King and President Barack Obama. To continue the dreams of “A More Perfect Union,” it is on us to release the rage and strive to succeed. President Obama says, “This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.”

Obama,Barack. "A More Perfect Union." National Constitution Center, Philidelphia. 18 March 2008. Speech.