United States Presidential Election Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States Presidential Election - Essay Example Still, there is only one of these candidates that has the credibility, honesty, and vision necessary to lead our country through these difficult times. Barak Obama can help heal this nation's legacy of discrimination, speak credibly about a peaceful future for out great grandchildren, and lead our country with the vision needed to assure a peaceful and prosperous future for all Americans. The election of Barak Obama to the office of the presidency could help to begin to erase the centuries of oppression and discrimination felt by African Americans left behind by the legacy of slavery. African Americans have been denied education, employment, and opportunities in America for over 300 years. Electing Barak Obama would show that America is finally ready to put aside race and begin to heal our nation's deepest wounds. There is significant evidence that the country still has racist attitudes. The Democratic primary has had race as a central issue as we see overwhelming numbers of blacks supporting Obama, while Clinton's supporters are a majority white. White voters fear the possibility of a black candidate taking the White House. Yet, these fears are unfounded. The election of Obama will not ignite a race war or cause centuries of resentment to boil over into recriminations against the white power structure based on race. Instead, it will give African Americans the show of respect and dignity that we value as a people and profess as a nation. Barak Obama should be elected president because he is the only candidate that has the credibility to guide our country into a peaceful future. While the other candidates speak of their desire for peace, Obama is the only one that has based his decisions, actions, and rhetoric on the philosophy of peace. John McCain openly supports the War in Iraq and has been an outspoken proponent of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq. Clinton, while she calls for an immediate withdrawal, voted for the war and has done little as a US Senator to lessen the prospects of continued involvement or hasten the possibility of peace. Our foreign policy is contingent on having other countries trust that our words and intentions will measure up to our actions. Without trust, other nations would only tentatively support our efforts and would remain cautious when we spoke of a desire for peace. However, Obama's initial, and consistent, stand against the military action in Iraq can be depended on to be genuine . The confidence that other nations place in our true intentions could bring them into the philosophy of peace and insure greater cooperation with our efforts to create a free and peaceful planet. The social structure of America is in such a state of chaos that it will require a president that has a solid vision for the country's future to be able to be an effective leader. America is polarized on several hot button issues such as abortion. Obama has the ability to reflect America's respect to the right of privacy, while assuring the rights of the minority are protected. His pro-choice stance reflects the ideology of a majority of Americans. America also has the social ills of poverty and inadequate health care that divide our nation. It will take more than billions of dollars and massive federal programs to solve our nation's problems. It will take a leader that can defuse the polarization on the emotionally charged issues, such as abortion, and bring about a sense of unity to the country. America needs a leader that has a focused vision of what our

Summary of (How and Why) Athletes go Broke Essay

Summary of (How and Why) Athletes go Broke - Essay Example Ismail Rocket admits that he has lost millions of dollars out of total ignorance. Athletes tend to invest in highest-caliber private deals no more than 1 in 30 of which every works out as advertised. Conservative spending seems like a boring idea to the athletes. Instead, they prefer investing money in inventions, nightclubs, and other innovative ideas with a thrill of tangibility. The inflatable raft invention that Hunter invested $70,000 about five years ago was one such trap. The investment partner asked Hunter to invest up to $500,000 more. Upon Hunter’s refusal, the investment partner vanished along with the original money. Much money is lost when athletes attempt to sell their possessions at a much lower than justified price in urgency to make up for other losses they are incurring. An example is provided by Muhammad who after having his music company sued offers his 8,200 sq. foot lakeside estate with unique features for a price that is $800,000 lesser than his original demand. Athletes get into sports at such an early age that they miss out on colleges and are not formerly equipped with the knowledge of finance and accounting. Neither have they much sense nor much time to get into the intricate details of their financial matters. Saving and growing money requires very critical decisions that cannot be made without careful assessment of the pros and cons of each option. Lack of awareness about the industry standards robs athletes. Athletes give their financial matters in the hands of novice and often unfaithful friends and family members in their attempt to assist their friends and family members financially. They are careless and irresponsible in distribution of authority to others regarding their own financial matters. In 2001, Strickland asked his dad who was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force to look over a real-estate deal in Georgia that was on sale for $1.8 million but whose price had been appraised by $3 million. His father clea rly wasn’t capable of making the right decision and consequently, Strickland had to far overpay for the piece of land than what it was worth. Most players don’t know how well they are doing because their financial matters are entirely in the hands of others. Many of the people they trust are actually frauds. Kirk Wright, the fund manager of Atlanta hedge was convicted on 47 fraud and money laundering counts and he had more than eight NFL players in his client list. Overpaying is common among athletes. A former major Dominian Republic leaguer who got his financial matters taken care of by an adviser he had trusted for 18 years paid $5,000 on two cars’ insurance monthly while Hunter could get away with paying only $250 a month for three cars. Divorce is the worst thing that can happen to an athlete financially. Pro athletes have a high divorce rate. Half of their net worth is routinely lost in divorce proceedings. The fact that most divorces happen in retirement a fter termination of the peak earnings period complicates the matters further. Athletes have a much lower prenups percentage compared to nonathletes that are at the same economic level. Calling off nuptials cost Dikembe Mutombo $250,000 when just a day before marriage, Michelle Roberts refused to sign a premarital contract. Children and aversion to family planning are additional family related causes. Athletes are