Saturday, March 23, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Crown Heights
Blacks vs. Jews.
My thoughts are that we only "tolerate each other" but we don't really co-exist.
My thoughts are that we only "tolerate each other" but we don't really co-exist.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Otisville's Resource/Re-entry Fair & The Direct Relationship Flow in 2009
In August 2008 Otisville Correctional Facility held its first Resource/Re-entry Fair. The Resource Fair Planning Committee was a mixture of incarcerated professionals: Curtis Holder (deported to Trinidad in March 2009), Andrew Imani Ward (released in January 2009), and myself, Marlon Peterson, teamed with facility staff: Micahel Kaplan, Supervisor of Corrections Counselors; Dennis De Rose, Counselor; Christiana Bracy, Counselor, and Janet Murphy, Supervisor of Volunteer Services. The first fair was a success, with 15 different re-entry service providers coming into the facility to expose and offer their services to the incarcerated men. This year's Resource Committee, consisting of three new members, Moses El-Sun White, Charzell McGill, and Henry Ramirez, that replaced that two that were released, built upon the success of the 2008 Resource/Re-entry fair.
This year's fair was held on August 27, 2009. For the power lunch period with DOCS administrators, inmate organization representatives, and the service providers that included: The Osbourne Association, Fortune Society, Families for Freedom, Bowery Residents' Committee Inc., ComALERT, Family Unification and Resettlement Initiative, Exodus Transitional Community, Housing Works, Legal Action Center, Network in the Community, Orange County Re-entry, Orange Works, Palladia Inc., RECAP, and 820 River Street Inc., the incarcerated committee members presented the Direct Relationship Flow in 2009 to the service providers.
The Direct Relationship Flow, a concept taken from the Non-Traditional Approach to Criminal and Social Justice (NTACSJ), designed by Eddie Ellis and Larry White, propagates that "There are no criminal punishment, crime or prison problems per se, only community problems. Once we begin to address the community problems, the crime and prison problems will also be addressed" (Eddie Ellis, "Criminal Justice in New York: Just Us", The State of Black New York City: 2007, p. 173). This approach, which was revised by the Prisoner's Alliance Community at Green Haven Correctional Facility in 1997, is ingenious, particularly because it provided leverage for further revision.
We, the Resource Committee, contend that in 2009 there are contemporary issues that require contemporary solutions. There are more women and adolescents in prison. The prison population is increasingly geriatric. There is a skyrocketing number of people being deported to other countries, particularly to the Caribbean. More than 50,000 people were deported to the Caribbean in the past 10 years. The demographics have changed since 1997; therefore our approach should also evolve.
For instance, there was a key equation that was presented in the 1997 NTACSJ that illustrates the relationship with the entities associated with the criminal justice system:
1) Prisoner vs. Administration (i.e., State vs. Society). Pre-Attica
2) Prisoner and Community vs. Administration. Post-Attica
We contemporized this equation with the following:
1) Prisoner vs. Administration = Pre-Attica
2) Prisoner + Community vs. Administration = Post-Attica
3) Prisoners vs. Community + Administration = 1980 - mid 1990's
Exponential crime and prison increases. What is now necessary:
4) Incarcerated persons + Community + Administration vs. Crime Generative factors and Attitudes = BETTER COMMUNITY CONDITIONS
Also, you will recognize differences when you view the two Direct Relationship Flow charts, the 1997 version and the 2009 version. The 2009 edition corroborates with the 1997 version that prison is an institution that now serves the Black and Latino community, much the same as the church, mosque, and schools. We agree that the direct relationship reveals that each feeds from and is sustained by the other; that there is a socioeconomic, cultural, and political umbilical cord that exists between local communities and the prison system. Considering today's political climate, the increased access to the political establishment and information we also added more links to the chart.
The local communities have entities within its grasp that should be utilized to affect all aspects of the political and criminal justice system. Not only should the local communities vote legislatures into office, but they should utilize their privilege to insert their perspectives into public policy and research. They can form political action committees and lobbies to pursue issues that affect their communities. They can testify at legislative hearings. They can play a role in writing legislature. bottom line, the local committees have the privilege and responsibility to care for itself at the highest levels of local, state, and federal government. All resolutions to local issues must be community specific. We cannot depend on people in rural New York to cater to the epidemic of crime and recidivism in NYC. With 75% of NYS prison population coming from NYC and 85% returning to NYC (40% to Brooklyn alone), the local communities must become empowered to strong-arm their power as major stockholders in their own communities. The late-great Michael Jackson said, "All I really want to say is they don't really care about us." Just food for thought.
Our objectives for the presentation were threefold:
1) Encourage our community by bringing to their attention the avenues in which their voices can be heard, and the mediums available to them. We advocate for inter- and intra- agency collaborations.
2) Educate our communities to be proactive and informed spokespersons of their neighborhoods, not a bystander constituency.
3) Empower our community members to be change agents. We intend to help them understand that they can and should have a preeminent say in how resources are allocated to their areas, what programs are implemented, and what the local, state, and federal agendas should be.
Our propositions stand as follows:
- More collaboration between service providers and the criminal justice system
- More volunteers from servicing agencies to partner with prison programs, incarcerated facilitators, and inmate organizations
- The introduction of civics education/workshops into re-entry programs and curricula.
- Periodic legislative, task force, and community roundtables inside of Otisville to brainstorm, discuss, and evaluate criminal and social justice concerns.
- Resource/Re-entry Fairs in the communities most affected by recidivism as a complement to the one that occurs at Otisville.
While the presentation was well, we await action and support. If you are willing to work with the Resource Committee members to work towards those propositions and objectives, you can contact the following men at Otisville Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 8, Otisville, NY 10963:
Charzeel McGill, DIN: 98A6139
Henry Ramirez, DIN: 99A2556
Moses El-Sun White, DIN: 92A8711
Marlon Peterson will be released in December 2009, so you may contact him at pensfromthepen1.blogspot.com and pensfromthepen@gmail.com
This year's fair was held on August 27, 2009. For the power lunch period with DOCS administrators, inmate organization representatives, and the service providers that included: The Osbourne Association, Fortune Society, Families for Freedom, Bowery Residents' Committee Inc., ComALERT, Family Unification and Resettlement Initiative, Exodus Transitional Community, Housing Works, Legal Action Center, Network in the Community, Orange County Re-entry, Orange Works, Palladia Inc., RECAP, and 820 River Street Inc., the incarcerated committee members presented the Direct Relationship Flow in 2009 to the service providers.
The Direct Relationship Flow, a concept taken from the Non-Traditional Approach to Criminal and Social Justice (NTACSJ), designed by Eddie Ellis and Larry White, propagates that "There are no criminal punishment, crime or prison problems per se, only community problems. Once we begin to address the community problems, the crime and prison problems will also be addressed" (Eddie Ellis, "Criminal Justice in New York: Just Us", The State of Black New York City: 2007, p. 173). This approach, which was revised by the Prisoner's Alliance Community at Green Haven Correctional Facility in 1997, is ingenious, particularly because it provided leverage for further revision.
We, the Resource Committee, contend that in 2009 there are contemporary issues that require contemporary solutions. There are more women and adolescents in prison. The prison population is increasingly geriatric. There is a skyrocketing number of people being deported to other countries, particularly to the Caribbean. More than 50,000 people were deported to the Caribbean in the past 10 years. The demographics have changed since 1997; therefore our approach should also evolve.
For instance, there was a key equation that was presented in the 1997 NTACSJ that illustrates the relationship with the entities associated with the criminal justice system:
1) Prisoner vs. Administration (i.e., State vs. Society). Pre-Attica
2) Prisoner and Community vs. Administration. Post-Attica
We contemporized this equation with the following:
1) Prisoner vs. Administration = Pre-Attica
2) Prisoner + Community vs. Administration = Post-Attica
3) Prisoners vs. Community + Administration = 1980 - mid 1990's
Exponential crime and prison increases. What is now necessary:
4) Incarcerated persons + Community + Administration vs. Crime Generative factors and Attitudes = BETTER COMMUNITY CONDITIONS
Also, you will recognize differences when you view the two Direct Relationship Flow charts, the 1997 version and the 2009 version. The 2009 edition corroborates with the 1997 version that prison is an institution that now serves the Black and Latino community, much the same as the church, mosque, and schools. We agree that the direct relationship reveals that each feeds from and is sustained by the other; that there is a socioeconomic, cultural, and political umbilical cord that exists between local communities and the prison system. Considering today's political climate, the increased access to the political establishment and information we also added more links to the chart.
The local communities have entities within its grasp that should be utilized to affect all aspects of the political and criminal justice system. Not only should the local communities vote legislatures into office, but they should utilize their privilege to insert their perspectives into public policy and research. They can form political action committees and lobbies to pursue issues that affect their communities. They can testify at legislative hearings. They can play a role in writing legislature. bottom line, the local committees have the privilege and responsibility to care for itself at the highest levels of local, state, and federal government. All resolutions to local issues must be community specific. We cannot depend on people in rural New York to cater to the epidemic of crime and recidivism in NYC. With 75% of NYS prison population coming from NYC and 85% returning to NYC (40% to Brooklyn alone), the local communities must become empowered to strong-arm their power as major stockholders in their own communities. The late-great Michael Jackson said, "All I really want to say is they don't really care about us." Just food for thought.
Our objectives for the presentation were threefold:
1) Encourage our community by bringing to their attention the avenues in which their voices can be heard, and the mediums available to them. We advocate for inter- and intra- agency collaborations.
2) Educate our communities to be proactive and informed spokespersons of their neighborhoods, not a bystander constituency.
3) Empower our community members to be change agents. We intend to help them understand that they can and should have a preeminent say in how resources are allocated to their areas, what programs are implemented, and what the local, state, and federal agendas should be.
Our propositions stand as follows:
- More collaboration between service providers and the criminal justice system
- More volunteers from servicing agencies to partner with prison programs, incarcerated facilitators, and inmate organizations
- The introduction of civics education/workshops into re-entry programs and curricula.
- Periodic legislative, task force, and community roundtables inside of Otisville to brainstorm, discuss, and evaluate criminal and social justice concerns.
- Resource/Re-entry Fairs in the communities most affected by recidivism as a complement to the one that occurs at Otisville.
While the presentation was well, we await action and support. If you are willing to work with the Resource Committee members to work towards those propositions and objectives, you can contact the following men at Otisville Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 8, Otisville, NY 10963:
Charzeel McGill, DIN: 98A6139
Henry Ramirez, DIN: 99A2556
Moses El-Sun White, DIN: 92A8711
Marlon Peterson will be released in December 2009, so you may contact him at pensfromthepen1.blogspot.com and pensfromthepen@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Thank you, Barack—From THE INVISIBLE MEN By Marlon Peterson & Clifton Hall
“His self-determination inspired so many of us to watch CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. He inspired us to read more than the sports section of the newspaper. His self-determination inspired us, the most marginalized and politically blasphemed of society, to walk this prison debating about things we never thought about: left wing and right wing politics, pork barrels, the electoral college, Senate seats, bipartisan politics and so on.” --Marlon Peterson, Keynote speech excerpt, 2nd night of Kwanzaa Celebration at Otisville Correctional Facility
Those words were delivered during the second night of the annual Kwanzaa celebration at Otisville Correctional Facility, a medium security prison located in upstate New York. Decorated with black, red, and green streamers, wrinkled posters of notable figures in Black History, the over packed room of 40 or so gathered for seven consecutive nights to celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The audience were a mixture of the politically unconventional—Bloods, Crips, former drug addicts, swindlers, opportunists, functional illiterates, and so on. The accumulated years of imprisonment of the men that attended the event for the seven days totaled to a staggering 1,200 plus years. The event was filled with the invisible men that Ralph Ellison wrote about.
Despite the doleful numbers, despite the isolation of the prison gates, despite the political disenfranchisement of the men, hope penetrated. President Barack’s presence, his eloquence, his message proved to be too much to keep out of even the most darkest place that America has to offer.
President Barack offered us a model to follow—to emulate. When the authors of this article volunteered to speak at Kwanzaa they immediately decided that they wanted to give a speech just like Obama. The organizers of the Kwanzaa celebration (also incarcerated men) enlisted as many of the young men of the prison as possible to participate in the celebration—just like Barack. Although unable to vote, many of the men used their stamps, phone calls, and visits to encourage their friends and families to vote—just like Obama. They vicariously knocked on doors and registered people to vote—just like the Barack campaign.
One man donated $20 to the campaign, although the money was returned (probably because the campaign did not want to risk any backlash for accepting donations from a convicted felon). A shrewd decision, considering the eleventh hour attempts by the McCain/Palin ticket to scandalize Obama.
Nevertheless, the donor was inspired; the thought was counted.
Whenever you get people in prison to speak and think about things that are not relative to their current predicament you have succeeded in taking their minds out of prison. The cliché, “you can imprison the body, but you can’t imprison the mind,” becomes a reality and not just a quotation in a “Thinking of You” card.
The success if a tribute to the effect that Barack has had on men within Otisville.
The Barack movement is a social phenomenon not simply a presidency, especially for the men of color languishing in these prisons. This movement has given the demographically self-defeated and those with the vacant self-esteem a reason to think a little more of themselves. A reason to have pride in their government. A reason to have pride in their race. A reason to love sports, but to depend on academics. A reason to be inspired and a reason to inspire.
A reason to hope.
President Obama’s greatest achievement thus far has been his ability to inspire others. The dream if inspiration is the dream that keeps on living. His being the unconventional candidate has given him the ability action—a different—in the unconventional.
His inauguration is not just the panacea, but it is a movement, and even the worst hurricane begins with just one raindrop and a cool breeze.
President Obama, thank you. Your cool breeze is picking up speed and the invisible men are eager to grow into your hurricane.
Those words were delivered during the second night of the annual Kwanzaa celebration at Otisville Correctional Facility, a medium security prison located in upstate New York. Decorated with black, red, and green streamers, wrinkled posters of notable figures in Black History, the over packed room of 40 or so gathered for seven consecutive nights to celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The audience were a mixture of the politically unconventional—Bloods, Crips, former drug addicts, swindlers, opportunists, functional illiterates, and so on. The accumulated years of imprisonment of the men that attended the event for the seven days totaled to a staggering 1,200 plus years. The event was filled with the invisible men that Ralph Ellison wrote about.
Despite the doleful numbers, despite the isolation of the prison gates, despite the political disenfranchisement of the men, hope penetrated. President Barack’s presence, his eloquence, his message proved to be too much to keep out of even the most darkest place that America has to offer.
President Barack offered us a model to follow—to emulate. When the authors of this article volunteered to speak at Kwanzaa they immediately decided that they wanted to give a speech just like Obama. The organizers of the Kwanzaa celebration (also incarcerated men) enlisted as many of the young men of the prison as possible to participate in the celebration—just like Barack. Although unable to vote, many of the men used their stamps, phone calls, and visits to encourage their friends and families to vote—just like Obama. They vicariously knocked on doors and registered people to vote—just like the Barack campaign.
One man donated $20 to the campaign, although the money was returned (probably because the campaign did not want to risk any backlash for accepting donations from a convicted felon). A shrewd decision, considering the eleventh hour attempts by the McCain/Palin ticket to scandalize Obama.
Nevertheless, the donor was inspired; the thought was counted.
Whenever you get people in prison to speak and think about things that are not relative to their current predicament you have succeeded in taking their minds out of prison. The cliché, “you can imprison the body, but you can’t imprison the mind,” becomes a reality and not just a quotation in a “Thinking of You” card.
The success if a tribute to the effect that Barack has had on men within Otisville.
The Barack movement is a social phenomenon not simply a presidency, especially for the men of color languishing in these prisons. This movement has given the demographically self-defeated and those with the vacant self-esteem a reason to think a little more of themselves. A reason to have pride in their government. A reason to have pride in their race. A reason to love sports, but to depend on academics. A reason to be inspired and a reason to inspire.
A reason to hope.
President Obama’s greatest achievement thus far has been his ability to inspire others. The dream if inspiration is the dream that keeps on living. His being the unconventional candidate has given him the ability action—a different—in the unconventional.
His inauguration is not just the panacea, but it is a movement, and even the worst hurricane begins with just one raindrop and a cool breeze.
President Obama, thank you. Your cool breeze is picking up speed and the invisible men are eager to grow into your hurricane.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sex, Porn, Pedophilia, and Politics as Usual in New York's Capital
Several months ago the public was appalled and ashamed of the man crowned "the sheriff of Wall St.", former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. His involvement in a prostitution ring disgraced the office of governor in New York State. His accelerated fall from grace into political abyss was not the anomaly of debauchery in Albany's political fraternity of perversion.
George C. Ortlof, who served as a NYS Assemblyman from 1986-2007, and most recently as a six-figured salaried NYS Parole Board Commissioner, was arrested last week on federal child pornography and child sex solicitation charges.
Appointed to the parole board by former Governor Pataki, the ultraconservative "honorable Ortloff" earned a reputation for scarcely granting the release of incarcerated people from prison. Earlier this year, he was one of the commissioners to deny release to John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman.
The ultimate example of throwing rocks when you have glass windows, the details of the government's investigation are horrid. During an undercover sting operation, Ortloff said that he wanted to perform cunnilungus on teenage girls, toddlers, and even infants. If that doesn't shock the senses, he also told undercover agents that he "wants to teach them [young girls] to be well-balanced...confident women [so] when they are 18 they can freely enter a sexual relationship if they want to and know that I'm good. I know what I'm doing."
Is this his idea of public service?!
George C. Ortloff, case #1:08-mj-449 (RFT) I believe is part of a furtive fraternity of perverse politicos in Albany that lead secret lives of sexual debasement. Check the following statement made by the "honorable Ortloff" to an undercover agent during an online conversation on June 23, 2008:
"I have known people who successfully maintained this lifestyle for several generations."
One may think that my innuendo is presumptuous, especially since he has not been convicted of the charges againsthim. But his lawyer's primary defense is that Ortloff was a victim of entrapment by the feds. Well, how many normal people could be entrapped into expressing sexually degernate fantasies about toddlers and infants? What about being caught sending porn to minors via the Internet?
Not many, and since birds of a feather... (fill it in) it isn't far reaching to associate other politicos in the NYS capital with covering each other's back (pun intended). If you are needing circumstantial evidence see Ashley Dupree and client #9 a.k.a. Eliot Spitzer.
As the holiday season approaches New Yorkers should consider asking Santa to deliver a holy water hurricane to Albany's perverted politicians.
George C. Ortlof, who served as a NYS Assemblyman from 1986-2007, and most recently as a six-figured salaried NYS Parole Board Commissioner, was arrested last week on federal child pornography and child sex solicitation charges.
Appointed to the parole board by former Governor Pataki, the ultraconservative "honorable Ortloff" earned a reputation for scarcely granting the release of incarcerated people from prison. Earlier this year, he was one of the commissioners to deny release to John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman.
The ultimate example of throwing rocks when you have glass windows, the details of the government's investigation are horrid. During an undercover sting operation, Ortloff said that he wanted to perform cunnilungus on teenage girls, toddlers, and even infants. If that doesn't shock the senses, he also told undercover agents that he "wants to teach them [young girls] to be well-balanced...confident women [so] when they are 18 they can freely enter a sexual relationship if they want to and know that I'm good. I know what I'm doing."
Is this his idea of public service?!
George C. Ortloff, case #1:08-mj-449 (RFT) I believe is part of a furtive fraternity of perverse politicos in Albany that lead secret lives of sexual debasement. Check the following statement made by the "honorable Ortloff" to an undercover agent during an online conversation on June 23, 2008:
"I have known people who successfully maintained this lifestyle for several generations."
One may think that my innuendo is presumptuous, especially since he has not been convicted of the charges againsthim. But his lawyer's primary defense is that Ortloff was a victim of entrapment by the feds. Well, how many normal people could be entrapped into expressing sexually degernate fantasies about toddlers and infants? What about being caught sending porn to minors via the Internet?
Not many, and since birds of a feather... (fill it in) it isn't far reaching to associate other politicos in the NYS capital with covering each other's back (pun intended). If you are needing circumstantial evidence see Ashley Dupree and client #9 a.k.a. Eliot Spitzer.
As the holiday season approaches New Yorkers should consider asking Santa to deliver a holy water hurricane to Albany's perverted politicians.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Barack's Blog
Sometimes I wonder if the change that I envision for this country is attainable. You see, the change I propose is cultural, fundamental, institutional, structural--radical. As radical as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, as radical as Kennedy's 1962 prediction of moon exploration. I am impelled to quote an excerpt from a speech he made at Rice University in 1962:
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade, and do... Other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard, because the goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
Ten months after that speech was made Mr. Kennedy was jduged by a lone gunman and sentenced by the same not to see his prediction, his dream, the American hope, the American ethos come to fruition. Five years and one month after his eay too early dismissal from our planet, Frank Borman, Jim Lovely, and Bill Anders of Apollo 8 read from the opening versus of Genesis from a space ship in outer space. Inspired by their accomplishment and captivated by the emotion of scripture we all experienced outer space that 1968 Christmas Eve. We accomplished the improbable. We saw Earth from the moon. We were all historic astronauts. We all won.
Forty years later I wonder if my story; my traveled road... Is my journey to political outer space something America is able to support. Our diasporic country so strong, so resilient, yet so sensitive, so fragile, I wonder.
I wonder, will those whose ancestors fought for the independence of the South understand that my love for our Union is inseparable from my love for them? I wonder.
I wonder if those whose bedrock of stability was shattered by this vulnerability of our nation on 9/11 because of hatred and extremism understand that my love for my father and his beliefs in no way conflict with my undaunted determination to protect this-- our beloved nation at all costs? That my culturally diverse background allows me to appreciate the many perspectives of all Americans--their smiles and their frowns. Their hopes and their fears. I wonder.
I wonder if my rags to riches tosry that is only possible in this amazing beacon of light we call America is enough. Enough for those who are still iving in rags, in our ghettos, in our trailer communities to believe that I will not forget them because I was once sharing those rags. I wonder.
Today our country is hurting on many fronts and I believe that our resilience will shine through because of our common suffering. Wall St. is hurting, Main St. is hurting. Our seniors are hurting, our youth are hurting. I envision that hurt pulling us together to create solutions, to smile like we have never smiled before. We are the Generation of Greatness.
But I know, we have military concerns with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Georgia. We have humanitarian concernsi n Darfur. Economic concerns in China. We are very busy. Will I be able to solve all of our problems abroad? No.
But we can. We can if we change cultrually, fundamentally, institutionally, and structurally. I do not look like the status quo, I know. Undoubtedly, many graves will turn over in disgust if I am elected, I know. My face in the White house is a radical concept that our founding fathers never fathomed. But they were revolutionaries that went against the status quo of their day. Their radical vision has been the envy of every generation in the world since. That vision was the United States of America.
I wonder if we--American can see that my vision is the same as theirs. I wonder if we will choose to hope, not because it is easy but because it is hard.
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade, and do... Other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard, because the goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
Ten months after that speech was made Mr. Kennedy was jduged by a lone gunman and sentenced by the same not to see his prediction, his dream, the American hope, the American ethos come to fruition. Five years and one month after his eay too early dismissal from our planet, Frank Borman, Jim Lovely, and Bill Anders of Apollo 8 read from the opening versus of Genesis from a space ship in outer space. Inspired by their accomplishment and captivated by the emotion of scripture we all experienced outer space that 1968 Christmas Eve. We accomplished the improbable. We saw Earth from the moon. We were all historic astronauts. We all won.
Forty years later I wonder if my story; my traveled road... Is my journey to political outer space something America is able to support. Our diasporic country so strong, so resilient, yet so sensitive, so fragile, I wonder.
I wonder, will those whose ancestors fought for the independence of the South understand that my love for our Union is inseparable from my love for them? I wonder.
I wonder if those whose bedrock of stability was shattered by this vulnerability of our nation on 9/11 because of hatred and extremism understand that my love for my father and his beliefs in no way conflict with my undaunted determination to protect this-- our beloved nation at all costs? That my culturally diverse background allows me to appreciate the many perspectives of all Americans--their smiles and their frowns. Their hopes and their fears. I wonder.
I wonder if my rags to riches tosry that is only possible in this amazing beacon of light we call America is enough. Enough for those who are still iving in rags, in our ghettos, in our trailer communities to believe that I will not forget them because I was once sharing those rags. I wonder.
Today our country is hurting on many fronts and I believe that our resilience will shine through because of our common suffering. Wall St. is hurting, Main St. is hurting. Our seniors are hurting, our youth are hurting. I envision that hurt pulling us together to create solutions, to smile like we have never smiled before. We are the Generation of Greatness.
But I know, we have military concerns with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Georgia. We have humanitarian concernsi n Darfur. Economic concerns in China. We are very busy. Will I be able to solve all of our problems abroad? No.
But we can. We can if we change cultrually, fundamentally, institutionally, and structurally. I do not look like the status quo, I know. Undoubtedly, many graves will turn over in disgust if I am elected, I know. My face in the White house is a radical concept that our founding fathers never fathomed. But they were revolutionaries that went against the status quo of their day. Their radical vision has been the envy of every generation in the world since. That vision was the United States of America.
I wonder if we--American can see that my vision is the same as theirs. I wonder if we will choose to hope, not because it is easy but because it is hard.
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