I'm Liking Him Also

Dearly beloved who elected Obama hoping he would change the world,

I also elected him with very high hopes - but with a healthy dose of cautious enthusiasm. Like Obama, I love America. I love my country. But like Obama, I also understand that there are many entrenched problems with our American democracy, one of the foremost being its unwillingness to come to terms with its racist foundations and institutionalized racism, which (among other things) undermines the exalted principles of liberty, equality and justice for all. I had nothing but hope for Obama, and what we hoped that he (finallly) represented: a new America that was beginning to come to terms with its troubled racial past and present. Well into his historic second term, we know all too well what the score is. And I'm here to tell you that it's not Obama's fault. I wanted to believe in the change we can believe in. In fact, I still do, but it's just going to take a lot more than just electing the first African-American President of the greatest nation in the world. If anything, we should have learned by now that PBO has spent his historic presidency laying the glorious soundtrack for what should be the motion picture of a new American revolution. The common will of the people must acknowledge that yes, progress has been made, but we most come together and WORK for there is so much more work to be done to overcome structural racism; reverse the effects of generational poverty and wealth inequality; convince and persuade by pen, voice and vote the masses who, for whatever reasons, can't clearly see the structural potholes in our American democracy that hinder our ability to move forward to the greatness of our promise. So if I had any disappointment, its only that I set my expectations too high for PBO and not high enough for the collective work we all must do to build a new America that at last delivers on its lofty promise.