Yes We Can!!

By Kerwin De Matas




Abraham Lincoln Declared The Emancipation Of The Slaves.





Ulysses Grant Fought To Protect That Decree





Now Barack Obama Is Living Legacy To A Wrong Made Right Centuries Ago!

Symbolic!!

This is the best I know how to describe what took place on the 4Th of November, 2008. Three U.S Presidents, two from Illinois, and one from Ohio, each of them a huge contributing factor to U.S history as is known today world wide.

Abraham Lincoln was an unknown figure, who grew up in rural Illinois, eventually making it his goal to be educated and finally going on to become the 16Th President of the United States of America and an icon to be reckoned with. With his out spoken views on slavery, he rallied on until finally on September 22, he proclaimed Emancipation to slaves on Union territory. His words:

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." ... My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views. I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free

Most would say that it was politically motivated, guess what, it was!! For me though, the most important thing, was that he did it.

Ulysses Grant was a general of exceptional military mindedness who served in the Union army, under Abraham Lincoln, who went on to become the 18Th President of the United States of America. This General was a driving factor in the defeat of the Confederate Army. Along with other objectives in this civil war which would eventually unite all fifty states, one of them was the protection of the right for an ex-slave to be free, not only in the union states, but in the confederate states also. "Grant's commitment to black civil rights was demonstrated by his address to Congress in 1875 and by his attempt to use the annexation of Santo Domingo as leverage to force white supremacists to accept blacks as part of the Southern political polity." Yes, he was from Ohio, and therefore a President elect from Ohio, but in my opinion, he was still very much part of what took place in the fight to protect civil rights in the beginning.


Barack Obama, a legacy of what these two ex-Presidents fought for, equality, and the long fought for right of a person of colour to achieve the same as their white counter parts. Barack Obama; an eloquent speaker; benevolent character; intelligent person. Qualities that would have been refused and shunned by a majority of whites in centuries gone by, towards people of colour, but are now educated to the fact that efficiencies or deficiencies can be found in any human being. The fight was long and perilous, even after Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant. What they achieved was enormous, laying the ground for the felling of fences towards racism, and afterwards segregation. Mr. Obama did what everyone thought was the impossible. His campaign as Democrat nominee, then onto candidate for U.S President, and finally winning the U.S Presidency; he showed the U.S public that he can push aside all barriers so that from now onwards, discrimination should cease to exist and that any person would have the right to uphold any office not as an equal, but as a person. As the world can see, the U.S public has come a long way to maturing against adversity, negativity, and now even under threat of an oncoming recession that would affect many, they chose Mr Barack Obama to take on the helm of this country. There will always be fence sitters and ignorants, but what should not be forgotten is that this President is not a black man's President, but a President for all and a symbol world wide to end all types of discrimination to everyone no matter their colour, religion, ethnic back ground or country.
So, congratulations America, bless!!

The Land Of The Free

By Kerwin De Matas

Welcome to the land of the free….what ever that means.
The U.S is preparing for their Presidential elections 2008, and until now Barack Obama is leading with John Mc Kain breathing down his neck for the U.S votes this year.

Question: What would the results be if Obama wins?
Answer: Very interesting question.

This mighty country has been for centuries the epicenter for what all immigrants’ leave their countries for: The American dream.
Unfortunately though, it has never been, nor will it ever be easy or just, when it comes down to this topic. The two major racial groups in the U.S, which are the whites and blacks, could never come to terms with their co-existence in this country. Therefore, how could anyone else not born in this country live a life free of harassment?
Now I am happy that the U.S is supposedly developed to the point where most people are ready to go out and vote in public for the first black President in U.S history, but to what cost. The elections are about to take place in a few days and already there are talks about confrontational attacks (even another civil war?) between these two major groups. Of course if this has to happen, every other minority group including immigrants will be affected.
What a shame.
What a shame that there are white and black groups carrying out attacks against each other, and planning worst events to come. The derogatory remarks made against each other should say a lot about the hate and racial tensions yet strong and alive on this continent.
The citizens of this country should all be proud of a democracy that would allow decisions like this to be made by the people, for the people.
But no, these two groups are just contented to be angry with each other for something that happened centuries ago (slavery and afterwards, segregation). Of course this is something that should not be forgotten, and to use these past events as a form of reconciliation.
Am I crazy? Would I dare to suggest Reconciliation?
I guess at this stage, everyone just feels better walking around playing the blame game, walking backward instead of forward, too sad.
Like everyone else, I can only hope for the best. Yes, the new President is going to come to the helm just when the U.S is preparing for a supposed recession, where hell will surely break loose as he (black or white) would be blamed for the decline of the economy. Come on Americans; celebrate your future and all the good that could become of it, instead of licking the wounds of terrible pains that are long gone. I agree that the pain and humiliation would not be easy to forget, but prolonging it won’t help either.
Let Tuesday 4th be a day to remember, as the day when America took a major decision for change; to try ending once and for all the unnecessary friction that is tearing the people apart. The worlds’ eyes are on you. Power to all the people, bless.