Obama Vs. Oil

We’re all saying it. “I never thought I’d see the day when gas would go below 2 dollars.” “I just filled up my tank for 18 bucks.” Yes, it appears as though the 5-dollar a gallon prices have surpassed, at least for now. And we should all breath a sign of relief that the economic crisis has also forced oil prices to lower, which subsequently means less money for terrorist organizations. Hopefully though, the mentality created by expensive gas prices over the summer will not diminish. That people will not leave public transportation or the carpool lane and hop back into their Hummers. And yet, this is exactly what the most powerful businesses in the world would like to happen, but not if Obama has any say. Come January 20th we will begin to witness the clash of titans, as the powerful oil companies will, for arguably the first time, find a foe and not a friend in the Oval Office.

When you look at the past 100 years, oil has always been a factor in important decision-making. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after WWI the Middle East was broken up and given to Western nations based off the location of oil fields. Soon, revolutions for independence would end complete Western control of these countries, but not Western dependency.

After the gas shortages of the 1970s, Americans foolishly ignored the wake-up call and would continue their complete energy reliance on an unstable Middle East. Since then, in complete disregard for the interests of people living in the region, we have invested billions into oil, through war and the creation of large military bases.

In the past eight years, President Dick Cheney… I mean President George W. Bush has been arguably the most pro-oil President the United States has ever witnessed. In addition to the Iraq war, policies such as tax breaks for both consumers and producers of cars that weigh over 6000 pounds have helped to encourage oil consumption. And we wonder why America’s three largest automobile companies have yet to spend money in research and construction on more energy efficient transportation. Thankfully though, Bush is on his way out and hopefully taking some oil lobbyists with him.

However, oil companies continue to be the richest organizations in the US and surely will not go down without a fight. As the recent third-quarter profits saw red-figures for almost all major corporations, Exxon Mobile posted record profits of 14.83 billion dollars. In an attempt to stay on top, gas prices have lowered, but it is surely not the final tactic to encourage American consumption.

Have we finally learned our lesson? Will we be able to give up the Ford F350, which has become a symbol of Americana? Lets hope so. And lets hope that a President Obama will be the first to win the battle against the almighty oil.

The Passing of the Civil Rights Torch

The Civil Rights chapter in American History books was forever altered this past Tuesday night as we elected the first black man to serve as President of the United States. Yet, although African Americans saw a symbolic end to their own struggles, the chapter did not conclude as millions of Americans witnessed the removal of their basic civil right of marriage.

While the struggles of gays and African Americans share comparisons it is wrong to view them under one movement. Today there are no fire hoses or police dogs attacking gay activists, and while hate crimes do take place, we are assured that our judicial system will bring the appropriate punishment to the perpetrators. But it is also wrong to think the Civil Rights struggle should only encompass African Americans. The term “faggot” and phrase “that’s so gay” have replaced the “n-word” as the most socially acceptable derogatory slur that stems from the degradation of a minority group. Additionally, both movements depict a minority fighting for equality and while we are told that such minority interests are protected against the majority under the Constitution, this is clearly not the case in California.

By a simple majority vote, California passed Proposition 8, easily adding another amendment to the longest State Constitution in the US. Although there have already been three laws suits stating Proposition 8 was an illegal Constitution revision rather than an amendment because it fundamentally alters the guarantee of equal protection, these are projected to fail.

Many prop 8 opponents, especially first time younger voters who mostly opposed the initiative, awoke to this news Wednesday morning in disbelief. How could the most liberally progressive state uphold discrimination and inequality? The answer is fairly simple though: religion. Religion has been used to oppress minorities and restrict civil liberties since the early days of our Nation. Of the seven in ten voters who described themselves as Christian, two-thirds of them voted in favor of the ban. A Los Angeles Times article highlights another factor of the ban.

“Jeffrey Jackson of Lynwood said he struggled with how he would vote on Proposition 8. On the one hand, as a black man casting his ballot for Obama, he said he had a deep and personal reverence for civil rights. On the other, he is a Pentecostal Christian. In the end, it was that religious faith that guided his decision. "It's straight biblical," said Jackson, 46. "It's just not right."

To my surprise and disappointment it was ultimately the California black vote that decided the Prop 8 outcome. Exit polls showed that will Asian Americans opposed the measure and Whites and Latinos split evenly, Blacks heavily favored a ban on same-sex marriage by roughly 70 to 75 percent. Even though Obama himself opposed Prop 8, this was not widely advertised most likely for fear of affecting key swing states.

Blacks are not only passing the Civil Rights torch to the LGBT community, but also helping to throw it even farther back.

Since his 2004 keynote speech I have actively followed the career of Senator Barack Obama and am truly elated about his election. Yet, November 4th will also mark the day in which a right was taken away and equality was pushed back in the closet.