Hol' it down

There will be celebrations in all corners around the world if (when) Senator Barack Obama wins the presidential election on Tuesday; and West Indians in the U.S. or at home will be throwing the biggest parties. From the several pro-Obama soca and reggae songs created, it is clear that Caribbean neighbors support the Illinois senator. I am a little worried though that we could over do it, so I want to offer some guidance that may help keep our behavior in check.

Firstly, keep the gully creepa, tek wehy yuhself and nuh linga indoors. They could quite honestly scare your neighbors or cause them to call an ambulance to treat you for seizures.

If you are throwing an election watch night party, keep the reggae, soca and compa down. Do not dare the police to disrupt your gathering with declarations of "a we run dis raas now."

Don't light up any herb, with the anticipation that President Barack Obama will legalize di weed.

Don't everyone call in sick on Wednesday, or McCain will not be the only one looking for a new job. Try to remember that you have earned no special priviliges with the election.

Once back at work, it will be good to keep relations with your co-workers cordial. Try not to point and laugh at McCain-Palin supporters or fist bump fellow Obama supporters in the hallways.

If you have to sing We've Come This Far By Faith or The Jefferson's theme song Moving On Up, please have the courtesy to sing inaudibly or just hum.

If you were concerned about being too ethnic prior to the election, now is not the time to come to work wearing madras skirts and headwraps. Also try not to bring any jerk chicken, roti or pepper pot soup to work for lunch for a few weeks. We want to avoid the impression that we are taking over.

Lastly, in your exuberance, please avoid terms that may seem aggressive and scary to others: Di man win to bumboclaat!!, would be a good example.

This is the hour

This is the hour when commitment is truly tested. This is the hour when words bear fruit or wither and fall like dust. This is the hour when we choose to stand up and be counted or lie down like worthless chaff waiting to be blown with the next breeze. This the hour to make our decision and act.

Never mind what the crowd, family and co-workers are doing. Think of what matters to you and make your own choice. It need not be anyone else's business what your choice is, or why your choice is what it is. You do not have to defend it to anyone; but your conscience should be able to stand against your own questions.

We stand on the brink of history and you need to know that you participated in the process. There is no validation in watching from the sidelines, or following the hype. There are no excuses. There are no good reasons not to play your role in steering the direction of our country.

On the morning of November 5, will you be found wanting?

Stranger for president

I am watching Senator Barack Obama's last appeal to the American electorate. The 30-minute documentary outlines in great detail the presidential candidate's policy plans. It also provides insight into his personal life, background and family. I am saddened that in this great country of ours, where information is easy to find, myths are easy enough to debunk, and lies can be disproved with the slide of a mouse that many have allowed themselves to be mislead by hate-mongering and half-truths.

Every time I hear someone say "he is an unknown" I want to scream. It's been 18 months of constant media coverage. Yet my cousin's middle-aged co-worker is 'frustrated' that Obama is now claiming to be African-American when everyone knows he is Muslim. Never mind that she is too ignorant to know that one is not exclusive of the other - one being a race and the other a religion. How many times do we need to hear and read the facts? This specific issue of his religion has been clarified over and over, yet some people remain confused.

How is it that Sarah Palin comes on the scene and is welcomed without reservation, but Obama continues to be a "virtual unknown?" Is there any other explanation but that he is black and has a funny name? Is it that some people are made so uneasy by their own bigotry that they look for absolution in fallacies? I have no choice but to think that must be the case. It saddens me to hear NPR news analyst Juan Williams participate in this campaign of fear mongering on behalf of the McCain-Palin ticket. Between his work at NPR and at Fox News (Hold the comments.) you can not tell me that Mr. Williams does not know more about Mr. Obama than Michelle does. Yet he, as recently as Tuesday, continues to say that constituents are uncomfortable with Senator Obama because they do not know who is his. Is Juan Williams betting on the power of suggestion?

What else is there to know? Those who are 'uncomfortable' with Senator Obama are not likely to get comfortable before Tuesday. There is little to be done in the face of bigotry and entrenched xenophobia - particularly as it continues to be fueled by the Republican campaign's desperation. Happily, we all will get to know President Obama even better over the next four - dare I say eight - years.

P.S. It is interesting that the McCain Campaign's response to Obama's 30-minute spot is to say the Illinois senator is not ready to be president - YET.