Kids Speaking Up: Under Obama, Change is Coming

With Barack Obama as our president, we can get the country headed in the right direction.

By Nanda Douglas, Kids Speaking Up | Published on 11.06.2008 9:42 a.m.

President Obama. It has a great ring to it, doesn’t it?

Barack Obama wins. Change is coming. Obama took the lead and made history as the first black man elected president.

Nanda Douglas

As a young person in an old America, it is great to know there is finally going to be a change in the way this country is being run. Growing up, we accept that our parents’ vote is the right one, but as we get older, we start to get involved and develop our own opinions. I can proudly say that of all of the candidates, if I could have, I would have voted for Obama. Thank you, America, for making my dream come true.

Obama as president means new opportunities for things we care about. For example, all of my friends who care passionately for the environment are certain that with Obama leading, our country can change our destructive habits of sending insurmountable amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Also, my generation is much more aware of prejudices and discrimination against homosexuals. Under Obama, I know that civil rights for all, not just heterosexuals, is attainable.

In many ways, this election was for the youths of America who can’t yet share their views with the rest of the country, but who will be affected by every decision just the same. The most relevant way is that my generation is being told we will be poorer than the generation before ours, and that the generation after ours still will be paying off our country’s debts — an estimated $12.3 billion for external debts alone.

How will this affect us? Or, rather, how will this affect me? My generation? My country? In the midst of an economic depression, we need a strong leader who will not make our debt greater, but who will lead us to pay it off. Even if it takes 50 years to pay off, “Yes, we can.” For the next 50 years, the only thing we will hear of is debts, debts and more debts. Pessimistic? Yes. True? Not if we can pull ourselves together as one nation.

The next time the presidential election comes around, many of my friends and I will be eligible to vote. Will there be a more suitable candidate for the presidency than Obama? Who knows?

Regardless, what about the present? If all we do is focus on our differences and depreciate our leaders, where are we going? What progress are we making? None. Don’t you want to know that your future as a retired citizen will be secure and free of stress? That is why we, as a nation, must support and follow President-elect Obama on his plans for a better, safer economy.

E pluribus unum: Out of many, one. That is and will always be the definition of the United States of America.

Dos Pueblos High School freshman Nanda Douglas is a member of Kids Speaking Up, a local group working to educate youths on social, national and political issues and inspire them to write.

Comments

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» Judy Gainor on 11.07.08 @ 04:49 AM

With kids like this waiting in line for the next election and Obama in the White house I no longer fear for my country’s future.

» AShaw on 11.07.08 @ 05:41 AM

Poor brainwashed indoctrinated kid…Nanda, I apologize for the brain programming my liberal generation has caused you. When you grow up and discover new truths that have been intentionally hidden from you, your politics will turn around. Remember what I told you this day.

» 42yr Old Opinion on 11.07.08 @ 05:48 AM

I am glad that you took the time to write this. I would hope that you would take your own advice and learn more about the candidates.

Obama has stated he is against gay marriage.
Obama and the democrats have not shown to be different than republicans on the environment. Please look at voting records for both parties.

If you think Obama is change, well technically he is. McCain would have been change. Anyone other than Bush is change. If you are looking for change in how politics are run, look hard at other parties. There are a few other parties that are much different and may actually be more in line with what your beliefs are. Do not be afraid to look at something other than a binary decision. For me, it is the Green Party.

» Wish it wasn't happening on 11.07.08 @ 09:27 AM

Leftist, socialist president Obama with a soft spot for muslims and african terrorists sure has a ring to it alright. But its not a good ring.

And his “change” involves spreading the wealth which means taking money away from those who earned it and giving it to those who didn’t work for it. Yea sounds real good alright.

Wisdom comes with age. The older Americans, in their wisdom, voted against Obama.

» WISE on 11.08.08 @ 07:38 AM

Nanda, I compliment you on your interest in politics at your young age and your excellent writing skills (assuming you had no help). I think you should pay careful attention to the ACTIONS of your new president, rather than what he says. Politicians will make all kinds of promises to all kinds of people to get elected. Be sure to scrape below the surface, rather than believing all you hear. For example, you seem to believe that Obama will pay off the debt, yet his record and promises indicate that he will be spending more money on government programs that will increase the debt. He will likely increase taxes on the middle class and small businesses, which means there will be fewer jobs and therefore less revenue to the government. It is intuitive to think that raising taxes means more money to the government, but actually it is the reverse, because more taxation slows the economy, decreases the production of wealth and decreases the tax base, meaning an increase in debt if government spending is not reduced. Obama wants to increase spending. More spending, more debt. Less taxes and less spending are what are needed during this slow economy, not more. Keep up the interest, it is your generation that will be affected.

» Remember This: on 11.08.08 @ 07:41 AM

Winston Churchill, famous for switching from the Liberal Party to the Conservative Party, once observed:
“Anyone who isn’t a Liberal before the age of 30 has no heart .... and anyone who is still a Liberal after the age of 30 has no brain”.

» Joan Vignocchi on 11.08.08 @ 06:03 PM

Fernanda - I’m so proud of you for being a reporter now! I remember when you were in 4th grade at Ellwood :)

Yay Obama!
Ms. V.

» Ethan Clark on 03.24.09 @ 01:45 PM

“In the midst of an economic depression, we need a strong leader who will not make our debt greater, but who will lead us to pay it off,” - Nanada Douglas.

LOL it’s called the Stimulus, Fernanda, and I would be pretty embarrassed right now, considering the fact that Obama is just adding to our national debt. I don’t like it either, but that’s the state of our government right now.

Hopefully Mitt Romney will do a better job running the country in 4 years!

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Kids Speaking Up: Under Obama, Change is Coming

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