Hi,

For safety’s sake, America think about who our next President should be.
I, for one, do not want a President whose convention mantra is “Fight, fight, fight! Nor do I want a Vice President who compares herself to a “Hockey Mom that is a PitBull with lipstick” anywhere near the children or more importantly near the minds of our children. Perhaps we should honor Mr. McCain by allowing the next Republican President to select him as Secretary of Defense. I believe that America needs a President who is a veteran at defending our inalienable rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution not necessarily a veteran at defending the rights of proud corporations of our nation.

On my walk this morning, I listened to a song “Too Young to Die” by Jamiroquai. Some of the words were:

Everybody, don’t want no war. No, No No,
We are too young to die!!
So many people all around the world have seen their brothers FRY!
What is the motive? Madness? I wish I knew.
So Politicians, this time, better keep your distance.
‘Cause our backs are up against the wall.
Say it LOUD, We are too young to DIE!!!
Say it LOUD, We are too young to DIE!!!
People can you decide
‘Cause when it falls it’s gonna take us all.

Barak Obama has become the Democratic Party Nominee for President of the United States. Obama is not just a statesman, but an icon for renewed American values; an icon for a multicultural voice; and an icon for America’s vision of her future as a melting pot for all the cultures of the world.

As Obama preaches with his modulated baritone voice, he speaks of a future formulated to convey mesmerizing tones of self reliance and an openness to listen to others. McCain’s high pitched voice bellows “Fight, Fight, Fight and wars for 100 years”.

Obama uses former President Lincoln’s image as an icon to conjure our imagination about his candidacy. I think this is a very powerful icon to project his state of mind and Presidential mission. I call the image to your left an icon for “The Thinking American”. This image of Obama, sitting in Rodin’s “The Thinker” position, engulfed in the Bald Eagle, in a reflective pool that illuminates Lincoln came to me while thinking about Obama’s historic Presidential campaign.

An icon is a graphic representation of concepts and psychological symbols that represent a common consciousness of many men in any culture. Both the Bald Eagle and Obama are thinking about an America’s vision of a future without fear, fossil fuel dependency, famine, refugees, or the continuation of fighting on every front. Both are icons of America’s values, voice and vision!

Art has always been a very powerful tool as a communication medium to ignite change and ideas to our consciousness, whether in song or painting.

This icon is offered to help communicate to the international community that most Americans disagree with the practices of the Bush administration and now the possibility of a McCain Presidency. America has to show the world that we are intellectuals and not bullies. We seek to communicate in such a way that keeps America a safer place not just from another attack like 9/11 but also from domestic violence as well. The increase in domestic violence has always been directly associated with the health of any nation’s economy. The Obama Presidency is an icon of the new American voice and vision.

This new icon sends a message to the rest of the world that Americans really want to listen to the concerns of other countries and do not support the current Republican administration’s unilateral aggressions and the protection of multi-national corporate greed and oppression.

I believe that the Barack Obama’s Presidency and team of new officers could be more effective in keeping us safer for the following reasons:

1. His Presidency is an icon for our American values. These are not new values but values that never gets propagandized or celebrated enough in our art or other mediums, especially to the world. The international community, it seems from the many interviews I have heard with representatives of countries such as Germany, France, Switzerland, Brazil, Jordan, Iran and Iraq, are willing to trust the Obama icon and consider new dialogue with America, which exemplifies a difference from the old and existing approach to international affairs. Obama represents America, both black and white, foreign and domestic (Kenya and Kansas) by his own heritage. It is perceived that his blood line represents many of the same issues the majority of the world’s oppressed have endured. He is borne of an American Christian mother and an African Muslim father. He has been educated in both extreme parts of the world. He is an icon for the melting pot of the world; a product of interracial harmony, reflections of America. He represents an America that is cunning but not cold, savvy or sour but rather strong yet not overbearing.

2. Obama is an icon for our new American voice. When he speaks his voice is mesmerizing. America! He expresses such energy and confidence that his passion illuminates his being. America! He is ardent yet sensitive. America! America’s voice should be heard around the world in harmony with other voices in the international community. Obama is an icon for character that is for family values, community concerns and global human rights.

3. Obama’s agenda for the new American vision? Just like the Bald Eagle, which has the longest vision clarity of any animal on earth, he sees the necessity of treating our international neighbors as equals; America! He embodies the iconic strength of the Democratic Party for the distinguished agendas of global warming, universal health care, and many others.

Obama said in his acceptance speech “what the Republicans don’t understand is that this campaign is not me; it is about YOU, America!” This is a very important statement for us to take note of and reflect upon. We would make a big mistake idolizing Obama, the man.

We need to stay focused on being active in our own American safety issues. We need to elect thinking Americans who have good judgment on how to help keep us safe in an ever more lethal world. Former President Clinton stated it formally “Americans must lead in the world by ‘example’ as power not ‘power’ as the example.”

These kinds of idioms, put into practice, will keep us safer. We can not keep electing politicians that are the icons of intimidation or multinational corporations. They are the icons that send a message to the international community that says Amercia is responsible for nuclear proliferation. They are the icons with the message of double standards in the world; one for Americans and another for the rest of the world. They have made themselves icons that send the message that our military does whatever it takes to manipulate others to believe in corporate America’s own agenda. It is time for the American people’s agenda to become the icon for the world!

Perhaps it is images of Dennis Haysbert as President of the U.S. on the HBO Hit series “24” or Morgan Freeman as God in the movies that have most of America well adjusted and even enthusiastic about electing an African American President. I am sure it is a combination of many things converging at this time. Whatever it is, let Americans think about their choice for the next President with great diligence. Remember that Ground Zero in New York is now an icon for the disaster of September 11, 2001. Remember when you walk into the voting booth that OIL is the icon for this administration that has Americans being damaged in wars on too many fronts, for all the wrong reasons.

We are all too young to die as individuals or as a nation. As the song goes once the nukes drop, it takes us all out. Life has no reset button!!!

~ Yovette Mumford

safetyissues.com

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