To: Barack Obama...From: MCARROLL4716

What's good my ni**a?
Hello O',

The first thing I would like to say to you is THANK YOU! Thank you for giving me and many other people hope that there is a new African-American leader that has our most important interests at heart and has a vision for himself, his people, and his country. Even if people the media will probably try their best to make a big deal out of your Hawaiian and Kenyan lineage as if that's a reason NOT to consider you African-American, we all know what your ethnicity of heart is. And you can bet that to those who still live in the slave and Jim Crows days mentally, you're just as much a African-American as the rest of us. Or as Michael Richards might say, a "ni99er" or "Afro-American".

But while I applaud your successes as one Black man speaking to another, I must say that I have a great fear for you as well. Fear that the accolades and expectations being thrown your way are a bit sensationalized and premature, respectively. You're the 5th African-American in Senate history; you've been applauded for your humility, intelligence, and sincerity; you've helped kids get more Pell Grant money to attend college; you've given a riveting speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention; and you've done so much more, already. But the Presidency? This soon? Are you really ready? Is America ready?

While having a Black President typically rings bells throughout the African-American community in general as something almost miraculous, if it were to happen what would it really mean? What expectations would it generate?

Would you be expected to be the Messiah for Black people? For some, I'm sure you would. Would you be expected to tilt all of your politics toward African-American interests? Probably so. How much pressure would there be from the Black community for you to serve their interests first? I could see people lobbying for reparations (even moreso than some organizations/groups already do) already. Above all, how dangerous would it be for you as a Black man, to be the President of the United States of America? I'm not sure that would blow over too well in those old-school southern states. Let's be real here. Remember Malcolm? Remember Martin? Remember Huey? Hell, remember John F. and Robert? Kennedy that is.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not very politically inclined or learned. I tend to shy away from reading too much about national politics because the politicians seem less sincere and the results seem less tangible than those of local politics. Sometimes though, standing back from a situation - in this case, national politics - can give you a better view. So while I'll be doing my political research as I grow motivated because of politicians like yourself, I hope that you will be motivated to think about the impact that your potential Presidential run could have on you, your family, and the people who will undoubtedly crown you as their savior.

I'm with you. I support you. But we may need you around in the Senate for a few more years so we can get some more like-skinded minded folks in there with you and then we can have a movement from within, not just an "inside man". You know, a "movement" like that of civil rights and that of women's rights. Something that's bigger than financial status, age/generation, skin-color, and everything else that divides us.

This is real talk bruh', from the heart. Please keep doing what you're doing and let the chips fall where they may. But keep reminding everyone that it's not about YOU and it's not solely up to YOU. It's about ALL OF US!

Concerned but confident,

mcarroll4716