In The Midst Of History
What do young people think about the possibility of having a Woman or African American President?

De-Bug had the chance to work with Mrs. Schweizer English class at Branham High School in Willow Glen (W. San Jose, Ca) We asked a diverse group of students what they thought about the current presidential elections and what they expect from the new president.

Question: “What do you think about the possibility of having the first woman or African American president in U.S. history?”

 

 

Change is Good
by Carol Esparza

My opinion towards an African American and a woman running as president is very positive. I have a positive opinion towards this because it wouldn't be bad to switch up things in our country. Everybody is use to having a white man as our president, switching it up a little to make things different maybe even better it could be a good thing to do. I think that everybody deserves a chance in everything, to not judge them just for there color or just for being a woman. It could also be a good experience for everybody in our country, a new thing to see. They should leave the unfairness of before, were in a new generation things from back then shouldn't harm anybody no more. Woman and African Americans should have the right to run as president, maybe even become presidents. I think that they deserve a chance.
      

 I hope that the next president can help change a very important thing to me, the immigration problems. The immigration problems are a big issue for every family that is Latinos. This is very important to me because I am from an immigrant family. I know how all the things that have been affecting all of us. A lot of our parents lost thier jobs and by them losing there jobs it affects us there children in a big way. It could get to the extreme that it affects us at school, or just towards others. A lot of people see us different just because our heritage, our family background. Recently is when they've started looking at us different, when all the marches they would do to help us out is when it was a bigger deal. I really hope that our new president could change that, to help us out. Its not only an issue for me but for others to, it affects everybody in some kind of way but more on us, and I wish that nobody would have to go through what were going as a immigrant family background.

 

There is a lot they can do but what will they do?
By Nicole Knowles

I think the next president could put an end to the war, lower taxes and make it easier for everyone to have health care, there's a lot of things they CAN change about the country, but there's only few things that they WILL. The next president could end the war. The reason the war started was to make things better in Iraq but its made things worse both here and there. No matter what if either Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton wins the election it will make history and show that our country has come along way. They seem to both be shooting for different goals, I feel that Obama is trying to win the votes from the younger generation, and is shooting more toward them. Hillary on the other hand is barely doing anything for herself, she's having her husband Bill Clinton do all of the work for her, such as the campaigning and the speeches. The only thing she seems to be doing is showing up to the debates. I feel that if Hillary wins, she'll give Bill all of the power for him to technically be president again. If Obama wins I think more would be done to the country and more would get done, such as more laws will be passed and some problems will be solved, he seems to be shooting for more important things then any of the other candidates.

 

Immigration, War, And High Gas Prices! We Need Change!
By Joshua Lansford

I hope the next president can create a good immigration law. I hope they don't let any more immigrants across the border because we are losing a lot of jobs to them. Whoever the next president is, it is very important that he or she ends the war in Iraq. It would be really great if the next president brought all the troops home to their families and finish the job that George W. Bush never finished.

I hope the next president can change the gas prices because a lot of families do not have the money to afford gas right now and make the United States economy better. I just want the next president to make good decisions for America so we can be a much better and organized country than we already are. I don't care if the next president is black, white, woman, or man. They should always be respected for what they do and not who they are.

Is the world ready for change?
By Joseph Sanchez

If there was a black president, many people would not like him because most of the world wants a white president. I think it doesn't matter what color you are, it just matters what you do for the world and if you can stop the war.

And if we had a girl president, people would think she is not strong enough for being the first president. And they won't know what she will do for the world, if it is a good thing or a bad thing.

When we get a new president, I want a lot of stuff to change. First of all, I want the gas prices to change lower then what it is. And the people that aren't well educated, I want them to have better jobs because most of them are bums or in the streets smoking crack. And my opinion about the president doesn't really matter, but I want George Bush out of the white house because he doesn't do anything for the world. He has all those troops in Iraq fighting for this nation, and they need to come home soon.

 

New players same game
By Matt Johnson

I don't think that it's going to change anything if they are male, female, black, or white, it's not like they are going to do anything different.  It's not going to change because it's been running the same way for years.  Our next president is going to have to clean up bushes mess.  Also if our new president messes up it's going to be the newer president's job to fix it.

I hope the next president will get us out of the war so our gas prices can go down. If the gas prices can go down then so does most of the other things that we need.  Also the president can give more money to the schools so they can get better teaching equipment.  Not only do we need equipment, but we also need nicer campuses, for example Branham High school looks like a dump compared to the other high schools.

 

Woman or African American, just make the right decisions!
By Belkyn Valladares
 

My opinion about a black person being the next president is that, to me, it is the same thing. To me the only thing that matters is if he makes the right choices. And for a woman to be a president is the same thing as a black president. I just want the president to make the right decisions. Not like Bush did right now about the houses problem; he made a decision that affected many people. Without noticing many people are loosing their houses and Bush doesn't care if that happens; the only thing he wants is to get money before he leaves. So hopefully the next president makes a good decision for the country that would make citizens happy, not unhappy. To me it doesn't make any difference- the best one should win. Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama, the best president that makes the country better is going to be the best. It would be good that for the first time ever a woman is elected president and it would be nice to that for the first time a black man is elected president. I think they both need the chance.

I hope that the next president could change that the immigrants that are here in United States already should stay here and not get deported. They don't know if they're here for a purpose-to help their poor families or something they never know. Also they could change that schools could get more money to buy, or fix things that need to be fixed. Also the president should leave the houses like they were before and people that have houses to not loose them because so many people have bought houses for thousands of dollars and just loose them in just a blink. It's not fair for all t hose that have gone or are going through that right now. That president now didn't do good for the country. He hurt them in the way of loosing too much money. Hopefully this new president can change many wrong things this last president did.

 

What about the schools?
by Armando Barrera

I think that the next president should focus more on schools and giving more money to schools. I also think that the next president should lower gas prices, because with gas prices so high the price on everything else is also high.

I don't think their will be a difference on how this country is run based on a male, female, black, or white. But I think if our next president is colored that their life might be in danger with all the racism in this country. That is my only concern about the race of the next president. That is my opinion on the presidential election.

               

This election affects us all
by Christopher Laurel

I think the next president will affect the lives of many people wither there black white brown or female. The next president well either help us or in bring us deeper a hole. I think the next president should focus more on schools and education for the benefit of the youth of the future. Also the next president should bring all the troops back from a pointless never ending war.

Finally this next president despite race or sex would affect the lives of many people wither they know it or don't care or aren't aware of it.     

                           

If There is to be a Black President (short story)
By Alfonso Perez

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 I am playing PS2 when the power goes out. I get scared, but the power comes back on. I turn the TV on, and I see in big letters “THE NEW PRESIDENT IS OBAMA.” Then I hear a gun shot. My window brakes, and I duck. I also look out the window. I see white people attacking black people. I call my friend who is black too. He is scared that people will try to harm him. I go out to the streets, and I see white, black, and immigrants running with guns, knives, sticks, and anything that can be used as a weapon. I see people lying on the floor bleeding to death; some are already dead, killed by gun shots.

I take my car keys and I get in my car. I call my friend again to tell him that I'm going to pick him up. He says “ok, but hurry.” I turn my car on and drive down the street at 80mph in a street of 45mph. I get to his house, and he is shaking a lot. I tell him that I am going to take him somewhere safe. He tells me there are no safe places here, nor anywhere. There is chaos everywhere, so we stay at his house for a few days. It is one week and three days later. We go out to the streets on the fifth day of the second week and everything is destroyed. The End.