Barack Obama the next President of the United States!

Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

My fellow Americans, we have to admit that there is something in the air and change and a bright future are upon us. We are at the cusp of our shared destiny and I am truly convinced as many of us are, whether in open or in secret that Barack Obama is what this country truly needs right now.

Whether you are white, black, rich, poor, young, old, religious, or not, Barack Obama is the only candidate that has what it takes to bring us together and help remind America and the world that we are that beacon of light and hope for all.

Many talk policy, experience, etc. but I believe that this time around it’s not only about that. Besides, if you look at Obama’s ideas, policies, and experience you will find many great and wonderful things on many issues. Personally, I don’t agree with every single one, nor do I believe that there has ever been a candidate that represents every little policy detail I agree with.

However,  what the greatest Presidents had, which I believe Sen. Obama to soon be among them has is the ability to heal, unite, and strengthen a diverse electorate to motivate, inspire, and create a movement toward universal ideas and goals that effectively addresses our shared problems and realizes our shared hopes and dreams.

When I was in the Marine Corps, I would often help local recruiters, even though I was never a recruiter myself, and one of the lessons I learned is that in order to sell anything, the salesman must first believe in their product. That salesman has to have the ability to express in a short period of time, why it is that their product is so great.

I am not calling Sen. Obama a salesman, but my intention is to express is the raw emotion and belief that Obama must have in our country and her citizens, because he like no other candidate has the ability to make us all believe again.

One of the lessons I learned as I assisted the recruiters is why people join the United States Marine Corps. Everyone, in the world knows that Marines are truly the few and the proud. The World knows that to wear the title of US Marine is a testament to the ability, capability, and potential of the wearer. This very title comes at a great price. A price so high that many Americans forgo it to seek other things or other uniformed services.

So the question is and has always been, how do they do it? How does the toughest branch of the military continually gets volunteers from all walks of life? The alternatives always talk about how much money they can give you, how much education they can give you, or how many cool gadgets you will get to use, yet if you have ever watched a Marine Corps recruiting commercial or ad in any decade, you will not see or hear any of that.

Make no mistake, the Marine Corps has bonuses to offer, education, cool gadgets, etc. but why don’t we advertise such? Marines have learned and Marine Recruiters are taught, to tell and show the people that what makes us the world’s premier fighting force and the nations 911 service is our values.

It is the intangible that can render the tangible obsolete. We know that once you inspire and instill things like honor, courage, and commitment, that tangible things will began to appear. We know that once a person has something in their mind and heart that those things will produce that which is within.

So we don’t make Marines from the outside, but we make them from the inside, and likewise when we recruit, we share the inside and people continually want a piece and be apart of that.

So we continually get volunteers because we share with them those things inside us that we believe in, so much so that the light within us attracts them, so they too seek that light and the process continues even today.

So what’s my point?

Senator Obama touches a nerve with America.

You can see it in his face, you can hear it in his words, and you can see that same thing in his supporters. It is the Audacity not just of hope, but to hope. It is the belief that inspiration and faith in the heart and mind can in fact truly shape and change America. It is the shared dreams of many to truly make this country great. It is that passion and fire to want to see America as she truly is at the core: The Hope for the world.

It is this spark, light, and life in Obama that reminded me of the young 17 year old hearing the tale of the Marine Corps that made we enthusiastically want to serve this nation to the best of my ability. It is that light that makes me believe again, it is that light that makes this country seem bright again, and it is that spark that inspires me to do again.

I am certain I am not the only one and therefore, I humbly ask those of like mind to join me in the support of Senator Barack Obama and  to ensure that he is the next President of the United States. I call on all my readers to take another look at Obama if you haven’t. I call on my brethren in the Corps, my Muslim ummah, my black community, and my nation to support this candidate for President.

America needs Obama and Obama needs us.

Let’s take back the nation, let’s be the light of the world, and let us begin our the journey toward our destiny.

May God bless and keep you,

Robert Salaam