Why A Son of the South Votes for Obama

My Father Huland Pitts's Navy supply ship 
USS Yancey in the South Pacific 1944

Photo by my Uncle Howard Pitts from his B24 
as heroic wing mates are hit by Nazi flack over Europe 1944

My Dearest Uncle Howard, 

The photos are placed here to honor your Brother Huland's and your war service to our nation in both the Pacific and in Europe. Our Southern family will never forget that service. Remember I am a son of the South, and I was raised in the best traditions of my region by a family that endured many troubles and challenges and problems including divorce and serious illness. My family got through it all bravely retaining some measure of dignity. As a result of my grandfather's work for the Federal government, and my grandmother's work for the Tennessee State government, and my mother's childcare and home help, we were able to survive and even prosper as a family. That prosperity allowed me to graduate college at a great Southern institution, Tulane University, in New Orleans. Later that education brought me a career that has carried me across the planet and introduced me to incredible people and ideas rarely considered in my Southern homeland. I am deeply reverent and thankful for those amazing opportunities.  

I am going to vote for President Obama. 

One sure reason I am going to vote for President Obama is to make amends in some small way for my ancestors's treatment of black people over the past two hundred years. All Southern white people and our ancestors have been part of this:  We shipped black people in from Africa. We enslaved them. We bred with them. We fought and lost an unbelievably cruel and horribly murderous civil war to keep them enslaved. Then we disenfranchised them from voting in any meaningful way. On whim we lynched any who opposed our sadistic agenda. We accused any black dissidents of being "communists" or "fascists" or "terrorists" even though black people sacrificed their lives beside us in war after war, both cold and hot, to protect our United States. It took a democratic President Truman to allow some small measure of equality in the US Army and Navy and Marines. It took the US Army and the National Guard under orders from the last helpful republican President Ike to allow black people to attend our schools. Or to buy food in our restaurants. Or to swim in our public pools. Or to shop in our stores. Or to drink water from the same public fountain. Or to ride in equal places on our busses. 

So after all we get a Harvard educated, brilliant President Obama elected. 

But for some distorted reason, we got a congress partly managed by a few with the same tragic and criminal sentiments that gave us the above mockeries of our democratic nation. Recall the republican leadership motto, prompted by the woeful loser John McCain, and the myopic, richest-man-in-the-US-senate McConnell and the egoist house republican, tanning booth Boehner. "We will not rest until we have gotten rid of Obama!" They all chanted that like a Sunday school prayer until some huckster like the money-power-mad Rove cautioned them to shut up. "You'll lose the votes that way, so quiet down. Here's how you can make a good sound bite for TV that is code for the same thing," he certainly told them. And they sat on their hands while President Obama and his staff dealt with the gigantic international banks that skinned the American people and our Federal Government for hundreds of billions of dollars. That same congressional gang declared that our Federal government should not pay it's debts. Therefore our Federal government's credit rating fell and your credit card interest went up. Lately that gang wants to throw more hundreds of billions of dollars down the drain with more military attacks on any loud mouthed hawker in a turban who condemns our nation and our democracy on Al Jazeera TV. Then they say Obama caused all of this. No question, that is a lie of the worst order. And you and all Southern people truly know it in your souls and in your minds. 

That is another safe reason I will vote for Obama. 

It is simple. Liars like that gang disgust me, and their lies destroy the good works and dreams of our nation. So think about how you wish this nation to be down the road a few decades. Do we want a business-based, remote, uncaring government dedicated to the revenues of a few giant companies and the egos of a few self-involved, fast-talking thugs? Or do we want a government that cares about protecting the regular people like you and me from injustice and attack from home and abroad. 

Obama's African-American ancestors endured the worst oppression and cruelest burdens imaginable by our white society. Now the Obama family survives and prospers. Yes, there will be troubles and challenges and problems for our nation just like any Southern family. Just like any regular American family. 

President Obama has clearly shown again and again and again that he has the right stuff to make us a better family and a better nation. 

This is why there is no other choice. Vote for President Obama. 

Respectfully and lovingly your nephew, 

Martin

The Obama Family
. . . . .
. . .
.