On Jan. 16 Barack Obama made a monumental annoucement. He had taken the first step toward becoming a candidate for the 2008 presidential election. And now the junior United States Senator from Illinois and the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history is, according to recent opinion polls, ranked as the second most popular choice among Democratic voters, after Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton.
“The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place,” Obama said. Although he won’t share his specific plans for presidency until Feb. 10, he seems like a politician who has a profound understanding of the American people and their condition. Obama seems like an exceptional presidential candidate with his awareness, knowledge and varied accomplishments. Yet I cannot help but wonder if any of those premium qualities will outweigh the doubt and resistance he might face as some potential American voters believe that he is a Muslim entering a national government that was founded on strong Christian principles. Thus far, Obama’s political stint has been successful as a state senator and U.S. senator.
Despite such positive political and personal attributes and achievements, an e-mail currently circulating challenges Obama’s sincerity. It alleges that he has not been upfront about his religious background.
It seems to be politically advantageous to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in America. Or at least this is what many Americans expect of political candidates, especially those running for American presidency.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia online (www.wikipedia.org) since 2001, approximately 80 percent of Americans consider themselves to be of the Christian faith. According to the same Internet site, Obama has never “admitted” to being Muslim. He has discussed attending both a Catholic and a Muslim school in his youth, which he says was under the guidance of his mother who wanted him to have an extensive education. Although his presumed religious affliation has been declared by others, Obama has written poignantly about his religous affliation:
I was drawn to the power of the African American religious tradition to spur social change… I knew and loved-that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized. It came about as a choice and not an epiphany… I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.
Could it be that Obama’s Muslim past in Indonesia where he attended school as a child is being used against him? Or is it possible that he may still be a closet Muslim and sympathetic to the Muslim radical cause? At least that appears to be what Americans most fear: bringing “war on terror” inside the confidential and powerful walls of the White House.
If a nation can’t keep the danger off their soil, what can they do when it is inside their own homes? When a group of people that American society has learned to fear and fight agaisnt gains a potential leader in America, fear can illuminate ignorance.
Well, there is a thin, delicate and fragile line between stereotypes that draw ignorance, and fear that inhibits knowledge. It is time for the American people to stop straddling that line and postpone judgements and criticism, at least until Feb. 10, when Obama announces what his plan of action is for this upcoming election.