My Fellow Americans..........by Barack Obama

Good evening.  First, let me address you regarding the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case; I want to apologize for having interjected any opinion before the facts were known.   I did that with the Harvard professor case, too, and I guess I didn't learn my lesson.   But, I come before you today not so much to apologize but to ask something of you.

Trayvon was a young black male whose early pictures, which the media used instead of his older, more negative-appearing ones, show a handsome young boy who seems nice, clean cute, with a great future.  The later ones show a kid who might be veering off that great future's path.    I'm hoping the difference in photos wakes a lot of us up to our kids' futures.

I have to admit the Conservatives got it right when they blogged on this case;  particularly Z, whose blog I read every morning before my day starts ....She said something that will stick with me "Conservatives think ALL children deserve people marching in the streets when they're killed, we don't care what color the child is, they all count."

I feel that way, too, but I haven't always shown it.  I mentioned that Trayvon looks like me and, as Z pointed out here at her blog, he really doesn't so much.  I used a dumb sentiment to make a dumb point, didn't I.  I'm so sorry.   Trayvon shouldn't have been killed, but neither should that little baby who died when gangs shot 37 bullets into her house and she was killed just lying on her family sofa.  A white boy had 16 yr old Black guys douse him with oil and set him on fire.   All of this has to stop.

I'm half black and half white.  I have not worked toward uniting this country as I'd hoped I might.  After Michelle made that ridiculous comment about not feeling proud of America till I was voted for, some white Americans felt a little nervous and I can't blame them.  I've done little to ease that nervousness, that uneasiness.  I'm doing that now.

I call on all Americans, black or white, to wake up and spend more time with their children.   I want schools to be able to teach more and have to discipline less. Parents, it's UP TO YOU.   I mean it, man...this is nuts.   The founding fathers of this great country didn't expect teens of any color to be dying on a daily basis at the hands of other teens.  They raised children who loved America and wanted to promote a good future for her, celebrating good manners instead of scoffing manners them like we do today, encouraging education instead of making kids feel like geeks if they get good grades.

Grades are where it's at, folks!  We want to hire Americans, not the more brilliant Asian and Indian immigrants who come here.  We're glad for those legal immigrants, but since when weren't Americans well enough educated to do the jobs these immigrants are doing?  What's that about?

Listen up, parents.  Your kids are your most precious asset and America's future.  Spend time with them, poor or rich, spend time with your kids and they will be rich in something much better than money.  Encourage them to do well!  I know that my views have sounded in the past like kids shouldn't do well because all they'd be doin' if they did do well is payin' their neighbors' bills, health care, etc.,  but that's stopping, too.   I've decided to become a Conservative, capitalist-pig who loves God and country and I want our kids to stop killing each other.  We need every one of them for our future.

Parents, do your best.  America's counting on you.  Trayvon Martin's death should count for something.  He could have been home doing homework, at a church group, at the library....but he wasn't.  And he's dead now.  George Zimmerman wouldn't have had to be walking the streets trying to keep them safe for his neighbors if that neighborhood hadn't had burglaries, now he's in big trouble.  This all has to stop.

God bless America, and good night.

(by Barack Hussein Obama)

Z:  :-)  I can dream