Letters to the Editor
-
Obama's authentic voice
Here is what is bothering me about Barack Obama: He is a fabulous orator. When he speaks, I am enthralled. I remember listening to tapes (I'm 42 years old) of Martin Luther King's speeches and am inspired by Obama's words. But, has Barack adopted a false persona to play on people's longing for a return of leaders like Martin Luther King? MLK came from a Southern Baptist tradition of preachers who orated at the pulpit at church. Why do Obama's best speeches sound like he too comes from a Southern Baptist background? Why does Obama pronounce 'Mississippi' with a southern drawl, like 'Mississippa' when he says he is from the South side of Chicago and was raised by his white mother and white grandparents?
I am all for the first African American president. I think it is about time to do this. I truly want this for our country, to heal the racial divide. But I want a president who has some experience and has earned my trust and respect. Obama is smart, a Harvard Law School graduate who went to private schools, then spent a couple years working with the down and out in Illinois and then skyrocketed to positions of power in the Illinois senate. He is a great politician and orator. He is not however, a civil rights leader like MLK or Huey Long. Why is he pretending to be?