Man of the Year

Barack Obama is the name on the tip of everyone's tongue whether your going to say "What does Obama stand for?" or "I am currently watching Obama make history," he is the most talked about man at this time in our lives and possibly one of the most talked about black men in history. Now before I start this political rant let me just say I am voting for Obama.
Now this is not a discussion of Barack's health care plan, his philosophy on how to improve our economic decline, or his thought on the war in Iraq and our need to pull out (that's what she said, thought I'd make the joke before you did.) This is about the notion that many of Americans are voting for Obama in order to make history by placing an educated black man in office.
I can't deny that my first inclination was to vote for this man because the idea that an educated black man had finally come to a place in which he could run for office and win intrigued me. But as time goes on and Obama continues to define his views as more than just the cliche of "change," I find myself trusting him as a person with this country and its citizens. So, I offered up a challenge to my parents and my friend Ken. If John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama were running at the same time who would you vote for. Now I understand that they lived in two different times but if I think about it I believe many of the things they stand for are similar. The answers I received were all "If I had to choose I'd pick Obama."
Okay, so Obama beats J.F.K., but thats a different generation of people (Ken is 50.) My generation is much more torn between Obama and McCain, you may question "Why Jordan?" well I'm glad you asked. In todays world racism is disguised, hidden behind PC terms and city lines that seperate Compton from Beverly Hills. African Americans that lived through segregation have more of a connection to the historical aspect of this election. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King are coming true.
Because racism is seemingly a thing of the past to this new generation (i.e. I can go to school with white people, drink from the same water fountains, and pee in the same bathroom) the Obama wave hasn't struck us as hard. We understand the significance of this event but we're more focused on whether or not Obama's plans for health care will really come through and help heal an ailing nation.
That being said, the fear I have is for Obama's safety. If something happens the nation will be a scary place. Take the beating of Rodney King and the LA Riots, or the death of Martin Luther King and the riots that followed that incident. Those all happened in a time in which racism was more apparent in everyday life. In today's day and age, where racism is seemingly a hush hush topic, I can only imagine what will happen.
My hopes and prayers are with Obama and McCain we will see what happens after the election. GOOD LUCK AND VOTE SMART!