by Catie Martin

Created on: January 03, 2009   Last Updated: January 31, 2009

Barack Obama is not the first black man to be elected to occupy the White House. As you may be aware, appearances can be very deceiving. The fact is that this gentleman is a composite of two families. Because of that he is as much white as he is black.

Any one who refuses or neglects to remember this information about him is not being fair. It's important to mention the reality of our president being the son, grandson and participant of a black as well as a white family. If we do not then it is just not showing respect for them or for him. His heritage includes women and men who had dark countenances as well as women and men who had light countenances. Each side of the family influenced him in some ways.

Actually President Obama is a member of the human race. He is a very blessed person in some ways. As a youngster he was fortunate to have been brought up to care about others. He was taught to value people regardless of their nationality or the pigment they happen to have in their skins. He learned that he could make a difference in this world. He was chosen to be a leader because many Americans recognized potential in him. They were persuaded that he was a good leader and could effectively guide us through some very difficult times.

The swearing in of Barack Obama could be seen as a dawning of a great day in history. He could be viewed as a role model and an inspiration for all of us. As we consider his early years, he could have made excuses when his father abandoned him and his mom had to work so hard to make a living for her children. Then when his mom died and he was essentially an orphan he might have become rebellious deciding that life had dealt him a bad hand. He could have blamed former generations for his father's behavior and checked out of reality and been a drunk or addicted to drugs. He could have buried his head in the sands of bitterness or become an angry law breaker. He didn't do any of these things. He decided to pursue his dreams and was willing and motivated to see those dreams become reality.

I am proud of him for those accomplishments and for the good choices he has made. I am happy to say that he is my brother in the family of God. He is not white and he is not black yet he is an honorable American and I believe that he will always be considered a man of great faith and courage who helped to unify our country because of his faith in our Creator.

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