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Letter: Witnessing Obama's speech
Fri, 11/07/2008 10:54 AM | Reader's Forum
At the same time Oprah was standing in the crowd in Grand Park, Chicago, Illinois, witnessing Barrack Obama's historical acceptance speech, my father, in his sarong, was sitting on a green chair just one meter from our 21-inch TV watching the live broadcast from our Indonesian news channel Metro TV in our home in Samarinda.
It was the most historical moment in the career of the most popular yet inspiring figure -- Barack Hussein Obama II -- in this most modern of American eras. Obama just won the American hearts with 338 electoral votes across the country.
Thanks to modern information technology, our Indonesian news channel succeeded in bringing the world's and America's dream-come-true live to my home in East Kalimantan.
My father perhaps is just an ordinary traditional 70-year-old Indonesian Muslim. But the political episodes in contemporary Indonesia and the world -- especially in the Muslim world -- which are in some ways very much *colored' by America, have successfully kept the fire of my father's awareness of and interest in politics burning.
Sitting on his chair, he looked so overwhelmed by the speech. Though he doesn't understand English at all, he does understand the language of glory, the audacity of hope, and Barack Obama's pursuit of the American dream. My father, like many other Indonesian Muslims who pay special attention to and even give support for Obama, hopes that Obama's presidency can make significant yet good change to U.S. policies, especially from Bush's unfriendly foreign policy toward the Muslim world.
Selamat Obama, and yes, we can change the world for the better. God bless!
ELLIE HASAN
Samarinda, East Kalimantan
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K B Kale (not verified) — Mon, 11/17/2008 - 9:00am
The part of Obama's victory speech that really touched the core of my heart was the images of a weeping Rev. Jesse Jackson who was shedding the tears of joy.
A few years ago, Jesse Jackson had made an attempt to win Democratic party's nomination for President.
His dream came true through Barack Obama a few years later. What a turn of events!
K B Kale
Poet (not verified) — Tue, 11/11/2008 - 4:04pm
i know everyone in the world has lured into the victory and spirit brought by Obama in his struggle and speech. even my neighbor's son who is still sitting in the first class of elementary school. in makassar, thousands miles a part from America, an 8 years old boy is proudly wearing obama's shirt. an old man is driving a pedicab with his obama's hat. In the main street and alleys, the 'baliho' of obama and his "change we can believe in" have overwhelmed. He really wakes up everyone to believe in the power of dream like Luther King has said in his "i have dream " speech in Lincoln memorial monument. obama has proved to him that "yes we can", he makes Luther King's dream come true. hopefully, this will be the change for all over the world, for palestine, moslem countries, people in guantanamo, world's government relations and for building the real peace in global community. ellie, u make it more complete with ur letter, i think all people feel obama's spirit of "change" even they dont understand his language at all...
Christopher (not verified) — Mon, 11/10/2008 - 1:52pm
I hope with the winning of Obama the American will change their impressionS about Muslim as Obama used to spend his childhood in Indonesia. Hopefully, Obama can open the eyes of Americans especially those who hate so much the muslims by telling them that muslims are not as bad as they think.
Kevin f (not verified) — Mon, 11/10/2008 - 9:53am
that was a great speech. i hope he doesn't bush things up!!
Ashley (not verified) — Sat, 11/08/2008 - 6:43am
wow, well done. i really liked Obamas speech and you wrote it brilliantly! im using it to write a report.
Sophia (not verified) — Sat, 11/08/2008 - 2:55am
yeh i know everyone is so happy he won.
there should be an Asian one next, not gonna happen though
Kaherine (not verified) — Sat, 11/08/2008 - 12:59am
I dont understand how the muslim world supports Obama. I thought if a Muslim became a "christian" that all Muslims rejected them and think they deserve to die. If this is true Barack Hussain Obama is no christian and has lied to all of America.
US-voter (not verified) — Fri, 11/07/2008 - 11:44am
Current projections for the Electoral Vote count are 364 electoral votes for Obama and 162 electoral votes for McCain. Missouri has not been called and is worth 11 electoral votes. There is also 1 electoral vote in Nebraska that has been called for McCain, but it might end up going for Obama.