Kick 'start'ing the RACE to 'end' it!

“I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.”

In case you haven’t recognized who mouthed these words, it is the America’s newly elected Democratic Presidential candidate – Barack Obama. I have picked up the following phrase from an article to describe him and his latest achievement – “Battle hardened mythic slayer of the famed and feared two-headed Clinton Dragon”

Over the last few weeks, which saw one of the famous and intense battles in America’s history for the Democratic presidential candidature, I had developed an interest in the electoral process in America. For me who has very minimal knowledge of American political and electoral process, the race between the America’s former first lady - Hilary Clinton and the ‘would be first’ American Black President(yes, I am positive) - Barack Obama was most intriguing for various reasons.

The foremost among them is the diversity factor that these two have brought to the elections that are due this November. Hilary adds the flavor of gender diversity and Obama accounts for the race diversity. While Obama sketches out his compelling life narratives as a metaphor for American dream, Hilary brings in all her experience as a former American First Lady to the fore. Contrasting yet influential personalities!

When two determined, competitive and forceful personalities clash for a top position it makes for an interesting observation. In one my pursuits to know more about these people I have come across the transcript and video recording of a campaigning speech by Obama. Here, he speaks with great conviction and purpose about the menace called racism and the ways to overcome it. And while doing this, he also addresses with ease the other areas of concern like unemployment, health care and quality education for the poor in America.

While urging the people of America to insist on full measure of justice to address their grievances he uses the follows words which I think, make sense not only in the American context but to each one of us –
“..it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny. “

The complete video recording and transcript of his speech is available at - http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hisownwords

The story of ‘Ashely’ that he mentions at the end of his speech is truly inspiring. The choice and reasoning of the lady in the story are truly worth emulating.

The message is not far from applicable in the Indian context. We can pick a leaf or two from his speech to address the problems of caste, poverty and unemployment.

We Indians badly miss a leader like Obama – a genuine leader!

The grand finale – Obama Vs McCain … Keeping my fingers crossed.