Yes We Did??

**This piece is certainly not the normal motivational piece that I give everyone but I thought that I would chime in on a huge misconception that is affecting many individuals in our country.**

Today is a very historic day in our lifetime and I am very proud to have witnessed it. I take great pride in being able to realize the dream and passion of individuals like the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, there are many individuals who do not understand the magnitude of the crisis that is occurring in the United States. I was flipping through my local radio stations while driving around and I heard an interesting announcement come across the speakers. There was a commercial talking about the historic inauguration of President Barack H. Obama and at the end it stated, “Yes We Did!” This message is only three words long; it may not seem huge, but the words are very powerful. For someone to proclaim “Yes We Did” means that we have resolved the daunting tasks affecting our country.

The problem that I have with this statement is that it is sending the incorrect message to our society. It is stating that we have accomplished our mission and that no further problems will arise after this. One thing that the media does not understand (or they do and are feeding off of it) is that they are not painting the wrong picture for our country. This radio station is intended for young, urban listeners (Hip-Hop and R&B); many of these individuals are part of the “Need it Now” society. These individuals are given false hope into believing that everything is great and there are no more worries because, “Yes They Did.” They will believe that their voice is truly heard until something goes wrong, or their requests aren’t met. I do not appreciate the fake that this radio station is feeding into the ignorance of society by stating that the battle is done and there is no more work to do.

We have to look at this historic event as just one brick that we have laid to solidify our foundation. The job is not complete; the brick wall is not complete. There is still more work to be done and I appreciate the fact that President Obama has been honest and upfront with us about the fact that we all have to work in unison in order to rebuild and fortify our country. Let us look at the words of our new president and appreciate the honesty behind them. As President Obama stated, “The problem will not be fixed in a short span of time, but it will be met;” “there are no more short-cuts; no more leisure over work;” “there is no more standing pat; we will all begin the work of remaking America;” and “it is time to lay a new foundation.”

Let us forget the ignorant ways of the media and listen to our Commander in Chief, because it is not “Yes We Did,” it is “Yes We Can!” We cannot just stand around and think that our part is complete. There is still much work to do and we all need to unite together to accomplish the task at hand, one brick at a time. The job is nowhere near finished; look how long it took for Dr. King’s dream to shed some light!