It Doesn’t Have to Take a Village

We were asked to sign in as youth supporters, then were given name tags and a handout outlining Obama and Biden’s plan to make college more affordable. This was probably one of the most important issues in the minds of the attendees, being a youth-style rally. After I read through it briefly, my friends and I sat on a park bench near the stage and smoked cigars while waiting for the event to start.

Young Obama with his father, Barack

Across the green from where we were sitting I noticed three young boys, all of which looked to be under the age of ten, I determined. They were racing each other back and forth on the green. The oldest looking boy won every time. They were out of breathe from running and laughing but continued their sprints across the freshly cut and cleaned green with no rest. I noticed that none of the adults standing around on the green seemed to be watching them closely. I thought to myself, “Where are their parents? That’s the problem with America today; no one takes responsibility for anything.” I thought about my own father and how he was absent from my childhood. I thought about Obama’s upbringing without a father and why that fact alone tied me so closely to the man. Then I thought about where these kids will end up with a lack of guidance and direction.

A table was set up adjacent to the stage where a woman from the Waterbury for Obama committee stayed the majority of the night to register new voters. At the completion of the rally, she told me that over 25 new voters were registered that evening.

The crowd of roughly 200 people was more diverse than I had expected. There were people of all ages, backgrounds, and social classes. Elderly women were bundled up tight that evening, huddling closer to the stage to hear the potential speakers. There were college students standing with their arms crossed nonchalantly with their friends. A young couple had come pushing a stroller with a new born and holding the hand of their toddler. Business men came in their suits, freshly out of work and no doubt in a rush to return home to the family they’re trying to support in these tough times. All shapes and sizes of my community had made it out that night.

The first scheduled speaker took the stage. Shawn Mosley, an English teacher at Wilby High School in Waterbury, took the microphone and kicked things off. Mosley’s speech had a different message than most had anticipated.

“The most important day in this nation’s history is not [election day] November 4th. No, the most important day in our nation’s history is November 5th,” Mosley exclaimed while walking the stage, stopping at each period in his speech to stress his point. “On November 5th, we as a community need to change. Barack Obama cannot do everything for us; change needs to start within ourselves. We need to think, act, perform, and love better. We need stronger leaders in our homes and our communities. Change starts in here,” Mosley said putting a fist on his chest.

Mosley got the crowd energized and excited. The college students had uncrossed their arms and moved closer to the stage, the elderly women looked delighted and had joyful tears in their eyes, the couple with their 2 young children were holding each other tightly, the business men looked to be in less of a hurry to leave.

Rep. Larry Butler

The next speaker was Rep. Larry Butler of the 72nd district of Connecticut who is a Waterbury resident born and raised. To open his speech, Butler reiterated points that Mosley had emphasized about change starting within ourselves and our communities. Butler then got into the core of his speech.

“If a young girl or boy has the will to go to college, there should be funds to help them get there,” Butler said while he paced the stage set up at the front of the green.

As the sun was setting over local businesses in the background of the stage, Butler voiced his opinion of youth sacrifice.

“I would rather the youth of this country and community sacrifice their minds in college than sacrifice their lives at war.”

After Butler said that, I looked around for those three young boys. They were no where to be found. It was almost pitch black out now; those boys have already left, I thought. I turned to the stage. Confusion came over me. The three boys who were now on the stage standing next to the DJ. He took the microphone and addressed the crowd.

“These here are my boys. I know its late, but they can learn a thing or two from the positive message of this rally. I would take them with me everywhere if I could. It’s hard raising kids, ya kno? What’s that old saying; it takes a village to raise one child? That’s definitely true. Obama’s message to fathers to step up and give their children a good role model to look  up to is something I’ve taken very seriously. I want all the fathers out there to do the same thing.”

Obama with his daughters

I saw something great about America right there that most people have forgotten: one man doing everything he could to give his children a decent future. I thought about how different my life would have turned out had I had an active father in my life growing up. I had plenty of good role models, don’t get me wrong, but the absence of a father is impossible to mend completely. I thought about what lessons I had to learn the hard way, what skills I had to acquire myself, how alone I had felt growing up in the inner city. Then I looked at those three boys who I had assumed would amount to nothing, who I had assumed were being neglecting, who I had assumed were a stereotype. I scolded myself for being ignorant, for presuming the worst situation possible for those boys. They had a father with his head on right, a father with his priorities in order, and a father with a spiritual and physical strength to carry his young boys into adulthood.

I didn’t expect to see that. Then again, I hadn’t anticipated seeing any of the things I saw at the rally. I saw elderly women in the audience with tears of joy in their eyes. I saw the youth of the inner-city come together like I never saw in the 20 years I’ve lived there. I saw people holding hands for a closing prayer; blacks, whites, hispanics all intertwined. I saw a man making the ultimate sacrifice in order to a be good father. I saw the future in three children’s eyes. I saw a community ready for change. I saw hope.

Alex J Martin