Mr. President

If I may, a quote from our President Elect, Barack Obama:

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Hearing the acceptance speech at the Chicago Grant Park, I began to tear up. It took me back, 21 months to my high school gymnasium, where I hear Barack Obama speak on his first stop after declaring his candidacy. It took me back to the caucuses, where I watched people flock with a newfound political vigor. It took me back to sitting in the nose bleed seats in the U.S. Cellular Center, watching Oprah and Obama rally up the crowd.
My first experience watching Obama speak was the one that made me believe that he would be our next President of the United States. He had this power, it seemed, to make me feel something that I had not yet experienced; pride for my country.
I think that this is true with many Americans too, that's why Obama-fever was so contagious. He promised change, something that we all knew we needed, but something that had been promised by so many leaders before his time it had made us numb. However, you could tell that he was different; the passion he spoke with and his courage of conviction were infectious.
Many people think that Barack Obama was elected simply because he was black, but that isn't true. While his race may have played a part, his ability to speak from the heart and touch peoples' lives were really the factors that made him the best choice. His differences from past presidents opened our eyes as Americans, and truly proved how far we have come as a nation; forty years ago, it was legal in some states to kill a person because of the color of their skin, now look at us.
If anyone truly deserves this position, I believe, and I think that it has been shown that the American public believes, it is Barack Obama. This historic election has touched people from all parts of the globe, as it should, hopefully teaching us all a lesson in tollerance, hope, and above all, change. Barack Obama said it best in his speech at Chicago's Grant Park:


And so I leave you with a simple phrase: "Yes we can."