I Stand With President Obama

In the wake of a secret video release by Mother Jones, which shows Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney telling his multimillionaire donors exactly what they want to hear, I wanted to write a thoughtful and personal post on why I stand with President Barack Obama.

It begins long ago in my teen years. A young girl from a multicultural and multiracial background. I was the fourth child born to a Latina mother, and Jewish father. Quite the combination if you ask me. I don't remember much of my father because my mother left him when I was young. He was the kind of guy who enjoyed too much Johnny Walker and liked to beat on women, mainly her. Lucky right?

One of my earliest memories was a day of visitation with him, which ended in a public beating of my oldest sister, maybe a pre-teen at the time. A passer by in the park called the police and that was the last time we saw him without a court supervisor till we were adults.

My mother often worked two jobs to provide since being a professional alcoholic didn't provide much in terms of child support.

By the time I was in high school I had a clear cut path and goal. College. Make something of myself. Bust my ass so I wouldn't have to wait tables or work in retail all of my life. The motivation to break the cycle was clear.

I made my way out of high school in 1993 with honors and a scholarship. While working to support myself fully and living in a tiny studio apartment in a less than desirable area of the city, I worked around my college course schedule for six years. Never missing a single class. Not because I was sick, not because I over slept, because there was no excuse to miss something I was paying so much money for.

In 1998, I graduated in the top 10 of my college class with a bachelors degree and continued two more years for my masters which I got in 2000.

I worked my godd damn ass off. I never took a hand out. I always paid my taxes. I worked two jobs at times to pay my bills. I lived on rice and beans, and ramen noodles for months at a time, but I made it work.

Just like our President did. A man of color. Mixed Race. Who never expected anything to be handed to him. No trust funds or rich parents. Just what he worked for. He gives the children of today, born and raised in the life I did a dream. He shows that the dream is within reach. I show that the dream is within reach, if you work hard enough for it.

I stand with Barack Obama because he will stand up for my rights as a woman.
I stand with Barack Obama because he doesn't pick and choose which American citizens are worth his time and effort.
I stand with Barack Obama because he is a real leader.

I am the real 47% of Americans. Hard working, Tax Paying Americans.