It appears that there are people in the United States who actually fearful of Barack Obama winning the presidency. It amazes me that in that fear they will go to any links to find fault with this candidate. One such example is of his error in relating a family story regarding his great uncle. Apparently, when he heard the story he was told that his uncle helped to liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp. In fact, it was the Ohrdruf concentration camp which was the first Nazi concentration camp liberated by U.S. troops in Germany.

My question is why, when it is a documented event, and his uncle has been confirmed to be a participant in that event can’t people let it go? It seems to me like it was an error that anyone of us could have made. Unfortunately, since it was Senator Obama there are those who want to magnify it into something so big that we should all be shocked by it.

Remember when Hilary Clinton stated that she was shot at by snipers in Romania. That was a confirmed exaggeration if not an out and out lie. However, I don’t remember it being replayed to the extent that incidences surrounding Obama are.

Another issue that refuses to die is the allegation that Obama is Muslim. Here are the facts: Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Barack Sr. was a Muslim but Barack Jr. had little exposure to his father since he returned to the Middle East after divorcing Barack’s mother when he was two.

Barack’s mother later remarried and the family moved to Indonesia where Barack lived until he was ten. At that time he was sent to live with his maternal, white grandparents in Hawaii. His stepfather was an atheist not a Muslim and his mother is a self-pronounced Agnostic. Barack has consistently stated that he has been a born again Christian for the last 20 years. That means that for the majority of Barack’s adult life he has worshipped at the Church of Christ in Chicago. This is the same church that brought him so much grief during the primaries when the pastor was taken to task for comments that he made against Hilary Clinton. That makes me wonder about those individuals out there who call themselves Christians. Are you unwilling to accept that Barack is your brother in Christ because his skin color is darker than yours? Remember he is half white. He exhibits no shame in declaring himself a fellow believer which means he is not embarrassed by you.

It must also be noted that from his early years Barack has put his Christian values to work first by moving to Chicago where he organized, along with a church-based group, a program designed to improve the living conditions of the city’s poor neighborhoods. It was during this period of his life that he came to the realization that it would take changes to our laws and politics to improve the lives of the country’s poor.

Then using the law degree that he earned from Harvard in 1991, where he also earned the distinction of being the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, he became a civil rights lawyer. This in turn led to his becoming an Illinois State Senator for eight years during which time he served as the chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee. His service led to his being so well respected that he was asked to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Shortly, after delivering this address Obama was elected to serve in the U.S. Senate where after just four months Time magazine named him “one of the world’s most influential people”.

Given his credentials you would think that people would respect and honor the man who earned them but when they were unable to find anything that would discredit him they attacked his pastor and even his wife. Mind you, neither of these people are running for the presidency but that doesn’t seem to matter to the narrow-minded few who will stop at nothing to discredit him.

Even on the issues people take what he has done and forget to include all of the facts. Take abortion for instance. On this issue Obama did vote against a bill to ban late-term abortions, however, not because he favored them but rather because the bill did not include a clause to protect the life of the mother. On the separation of church and state Obama believes that the separation should be guided by a “sense of proportion” publicly stating that saying the Pledge of Allegiance and student prayer groups should enjoy some leeway.” Even when it comes to the death penalty Obama takes a moderate view vowing that while he does “not believe the death penalty actually deters crime, he supports it in cases where the “community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.”

These are just a few of the issues but I could go on but basically I am just trying to say that Obama could make a very good change for America and those who spend all of their time blasting him should take a look at our alternative. What do others who are running, and actually have a chance of winning, have to offer us? It appears that if John McCain is elected we can count on our troops staying in Iraq, a possible war in Iran, a continued loss of respect throughout the civilized world, and an economy that will be in the hands of a man who admits he has little knowledge of economic issues. Add this to the people he has surrounded himself with and I personally believe that we are in for another four years of the failed Bush policies, as well as, a continuation of the unjustified war in Iraq.

So, if you desire change and want an un-owned man in the White House I believe that Barack Obama should be your choice. The only thing that could make it better would be if Obama was able to get John Edwards to run as Vice President and then you would truly have a dream team.

See Barack Obama’s home page for documentation of his stands on the issues.