A year after: President Obama I want to Believe in You

President Barack Obama,

Right now, I would like to ask you to please remember the 2008 campaign and every single face staring at you during that historical election. Think about every hopeful, excited, cheerful expression and words of so many people, we were looking at you as the only hope for a better future for all in this country.

Those days were amazing, historical, and filled with grandiosity. Your election was the medicine this ill nation needed after 8 years of fallacies, lies, corruption, abuses, cynicism of the Bush regime. It was the worst government this country had seeing in history indeed.

Among those faces supporting you, I was there too. An immigrant who has spent half of his life in this wonderful nation, built by sacrificed and disciplined people always striving to do their best. I saw you twice at the American University and the University of Maryland rallies.

Yes, we were there for you Barack Obama, we lined up for hours, we all talked about the changes you were fighting for. We made phone calls, we talked to friends one on one, we helped those who were in the campaign, we gave money, we all did something. Because we believed in you!

Photo by Carlos A. Quiroz

It's been one year since you took power. In that historical morning of January 20, 2009, I was there also along with 2 million people at the National Mall caring less about the freezing weather. I walked my way towards the Capitol to be closer to the podium where you spoke of the challenging times we live today. We the people were there with you. We were hopeful, we believed in every word you said:

In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

A year has passed president Obama, and I really wish that I could still believe in you. We trusted you as a candidate, but your actions as a President have told us that you are not the leader we expected. You say things but you do the opposite, you are working for the same interest groups that are disgracing this country and the world.

You don't even have to take my word for it, ask people around, we are disgusted at how things are going on. This nation is facing a deep crisis that goes beyond the economic downfall, is deeper than just money and I would ask you to please do something about it.

In this country today, the family structure has already fallen apart. We don't have parents, our communities are rising solitary and angry children who believe in their only survival, and these are the leaders of tomorrow. Our public schools are becoming like prison-like factories, in the classrooms, children are being exposed to violence, repression, police brutality mentality, sexism, gangs and apathy for community values.

The U.S. population is facing strange diseases, health issues caused by pollution, food poisoning, and a mental crisis is deepening. Our children is born with psychological problems non-existent only a generation ago; our youth is having unprotected sex and are becoming parents before they even become adults.

Our elder are dying of cancer, diabetes, aids and other new but preventable illnesses. Still, your Health Care reform plan has been destroyed by the two main political parties equally obeying the insurance lobby.

As U.S. soldiers are coming back traumatized and mutilated from Iraq and Afghanistan, they are having also health problems that reflect in their families, communities. I know several cases. This is a long term cost that this country has to pay. These are affected humans -and those who live with them- that will have to deal with the war experiences for the rest of their lives.

People are disenfranchised of the government you represent. We are tired of your beautiful speeches, your strong statements along with your lack of actions. We see both the Democratic and Republican parties are the same political mafias of corrupted and weak leaders, working in behalf of the rich, the powerful lobbies, the armament industry and the big corporations that are destroying our planet.

Everyone in this nation is trying to survive in their own, people are trying to hold on to their homes, cars and whatever material possession they have, before the same creditors that you bailed out can take them away. We are so worried about our bank accounts, we can't see our neighbor's struggles to survive.

We don't see the dramatic lives of millions of undocumented immigrants who are being treated as second class citizens, and we think they can wait longer living cramped in tiny housing spaces, getting abused by a corrupted employment system, getting sicker because they can't afford health care. These are survivors of injustice and discrimination in their home countries, but your government and yourself call them illegals.

Meanwhile, the world is becoming more disappointed in the role of the United States in this planet, as the richer and more powerful nation. The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan continue, despite of the fact that no terrorists attacks against the U.S. were planned or financed by those countries, nor those peoples. Al-Qaeda continue to be a mysterious group that non one knows exactly where and who they are.

In the other side of the planet, the Pentagon is still opening military bases in Latin America and Africa, which announces that the future of those regions will be of war and conflicts over their rich natural resources. All over again.

President Obama just like a year ago I want to believe in you. But Guatanamo still open, working class families are still getting poorer, my friends are losing their jobs and others can't keep up with their credit bills. The housing crisis is there, working class people can't afford a roof in their heads any more.

In your first year, much more Indigenous immigrants have been deported than in the Bush's last year, and the Wall Street mafia has kept the bailout money you gave away, while your government has ordered the military invasion of Haiti, while the Supreme Court has open the doors of elections, to the same corrupted corporations that are stopping all needed reforms in the government.

President Obama, in two days you will give your first State of the Union speech, just weeks after Republican conservative candidates have won 3 important elections in the country. Please remember that you need the people of the United States on your side.

We need a reason to continue believing in you. We don't need more beautiful speeches of the candidate Obama anymore. If you keep promising things that we know you won't do, not only our digital TVs will be turned off, but the dreams of millions will become outrage, discouragement, anger, disappointment.

The last thing this ailing country needs is for its population to distrust everyone including its government. This is your chance to change history, we will be with you if you take the necessary steps. Or the people will be against you otherwise. Unite us again.


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