Sung: It's time to Barack the Vote - Asiaxpress.com

Sung: It's time to Barack the vote

By Eric Sung, Guest Columnist

Feb. 3, 2008

The election year is upon us again and as much as I am a political junkie, I have never gotten involved in candidate politics before. After the 2000 and 2004 election I became jaded and disillusioned with the political process. It seemed that a system created “for the people, by the people” was no longer so. It takes a special person to be able to compel me to write this letter.

As a former student activist and community volunteer, I saw firsthand the apathy that exists in my community and my generation. The future of our country has taken a backseat to the needs of the individual. We no longer believe in John F. Kennedy’s immortal words about what you can do for your country. At the same time, as a generation, we yearn to be inspired like our parents and to be re-engaged in a political system that has lost us.

On Feb. 5, we are asked to change the political landscape and make history by electing the first woman or African-American presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. To many, the elections are about hot topic issues, experiences and partisanship. However, this election is about more than just the usual catch phrases – it is about leadership, the ability to inspire and the ability to unite a nation.

History has taught us that words are powerful enough to unite and set a nation down a path of justice and equality; how a great leader can inspire an entire generation and lead courageously in the face of crisis. Barack Obama possesses that special ability to both lead with his actions and inspire with his words. As a community activist, he worked on the causes of the poor, and as a legislator, he reached across the aisle to create real change in Illinois. Through two victories, he forged a coalition between Blacks and Whites, rich and poor, young and old, Republicans and Democrats. Through four primaries he has inspired a new generation to take action and embrace the political process. The youth are voting in record numbers showing that they are welcoming the change and want to seize the future.

A man like Obama may come along once in a generation. Some say opportunity may come knocking once in a lifetime. That time is now. This is our chance to shine and our turn to make history. It’s time that we make our presence felt in Washington and it is time we make our voices heard around the world. Yes we can! I endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.

I leave you with the eloquent words of Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy:

“I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved. I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president – not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.”