FORUM
?
Voting for the world that should be
Michelle
Obama ?
Guest
Columnist
When I was young, my
father volunteered as a
precinct captain for the
Democratic Party in our
neighborhood on the South
Side of Chicago. Some of my
earliest memories are of tag
ging along as he went from
door to door. He helped peo
ple register to vote. If our
neighbors needed absentee
ballots, he arranged them.
And he made sure people got
to the voting booth on
Election Day.
My father loved educating
folks about their rights, and
he believed deeply in the
responsibilities that come
with being participants in our
rich and varied society. He
never missed an opportunity
to vote. He viewed it as his
obligation as a citizen - and a
moral obligation to those of
his generation who marched
and fought and sometimes
died for the right.
I'm very grateful to my
father for teaching me the
value of voting. As a parent, 1
try to instill that value in my
daughters. I vote because I
care about my country and my
community; because I want to
have a voice in my govern
ment; and because I believe
that our country has a better
chance of solving the prob
lems we face if we all speak
up and get involved.
I also vote because of
something my husband once
said. About 20 years ago,
when we were first getting to
know one another, Barack
took me to a community meet
ing in a neighborhood in
Chicago - a place where peo
ple were working hard to gen
erate economic opportunities
after local steel plants shut
down and jobs dried up. That
day, Barack gave a talk about
his experiences "as a commu
nity organizer. He spoke
about the gap between the
world as it is and the world as
it should be. He said that
ordinary people can' narrow
that gap, if they work together
for change.
I fell in love with that
idea. It conveys a simple but
powerful truth - one that is
illustrated every Election Day,
when people line up to cast
their ballots. When we vote,
we don't just choose a candi
date. We choose to begin
building the world as it should
be.
For the girl I met in South
Carolina - who told me that
because of Barack's candida
cy, she now dreams of being
president one day - it's a
world where all children can
pursue their dreams, no matter
their gender or the color of
their skin. For the woman I
met in Kansas City, it's a
world where no parent feels
trapped by the rising cost of
gas and food and health
care ? and every mother can
give her children a healthy,
happy life. For the military
wife I met at Fort Bragg, it's a
world where returning sol
diers never worry about men
tal health care or living on
welfare - and deployments
are shorter, so fathers and
mothers who serve our coun
try can have as much time as
possible with their children.
When we vote this
November, we'll be casting
our ballots for that world.
But if you don't vote - and
today, more than 30 percent of
African Americans don't -
you cast a ballot for the status
quo. By not voting, you vote
to let others decide your
future for you.
I've heard people say, "My
vote doesn't matter." "My
vote won't count." or, "I'm
just one person. What possi
ble difference can 1 make?"
But this year, all our votes
matter more than ever.
This is a historic election -
and not just because my hus
band. Barack Obama, is at the
top of the Democratic ticket,
it's historic because of what's
at stake for our shared future
and our children's future.
There are so many urgent
problems that must be
addressed ? from responsibly
ending the war in Iraq, to
strengthening our economy
and restoring the middle class,
to making affordable health
care available to all
Americans and giving every
child a world-class
education.
As I've traveled around
the country, I've seen an out
pouring of new voters answer
ing the call for change.
People are getting involved in
politics like never before.
They're talking to their neigh
bors, getting informed, and
challenging one another to
think differently about the
World and our shared place in
it.
If you are satisfied with
the world as it is, your choice
this fall is easy. But if you
believe, as I do, that we can
solve our problems - that,
together, we can shape our
future again - join me in vot
ing on November 4.
Michelle Obama is the
wife of Sen. Barack Obama,
who is trying to become the
nation 's first black president.
Get mortgage help quickly
c
Kathy
Banks
Guest
Columnist
Here in the U.S., where
values and identities are
closely tied to the places we
call "home," the prospect of
losing that precious asset is
one that few people want to
consider. Yet, as the economy
continues to slump and the
housing crisis lingers, fore
closure has become a sad real
ity for thousands of people
who, just a few years ago,
would never have imagined
themselves in such dire
straits.
Consumer Credit
Counseling Service (CCCS)
has long been involved in
credit and housing counseling
matters in and around Forsyth
County, offering assistance to
many people and families in
the throes of foreclosure.
Everyone has heard about the
sub-prime mortgage phenom
ena that has caused a spike in
foreclosure rates. But other
factors - job losses, plant
closings, unforeseen illness -
have also played a part.
Whatever the cause, foreclo
sure is almost always an emo
tionally draining, self-image
deflating, experience. Often,
the ill effects trickle down
from families to neighbor
hoods, from neighborhoods to
communities, and so on.
For those unaware of the
gravity of the foreclosure
problem in our area, the num
bers are telling. CCCS
research shows that in 2007,
foreclosure filings in North
Carolina rose sharply by 66.7
percent. Experts are not opti
mistic about 2008, estimating
a 10 to 20 percent increase in
foreclosures. In the Winston
Salem MSA, recent reports
show 2,067 homes in foreclo
sure in 2007, or a 102 percent
increase over 2006. This has
directly impacted the liquidity
position of many banks and
caused the devaluation of real
estate in foreclosed neighbor
hoods.
Facing up to the prospect
of foreclosure isn't easy. We
humans are a proud lot and
don't like to be seen as needy
or as having made a mistake.
But, waiting too long tp get
help only makes the problem
worse. The important thing
for people at risk of foreclo
sure to know is that they are
not alone, and that there may
be solutions and options
available to them.
At CCCS, for instance, we
have a team of trained, certi
fied housing counselors who
provide free confidential,
non-judgmental, help. They
will work with clients to get
them back on track and identir
fy options to avoid foreclo
sure.
For example, CCCS coun
selors will negotiate with
mortgage lenders and ser
vicers on behalf of homeown
ers for workout agreements,
such as a special forbearance
agreement, a loan modifica
tion or a partial claim to get
payments caught up. Other
options may be available for a
temporary hardship situation.
Whatever the need, coun
selors can do a thorough
analysis of the homeowners'
finances, helping them with
budgeting, prioritizing
expenses and giving them a
plan of action to regain con
trol.
So, there may indeed be a
light at the end of the tunnel
for at-risk homeowners. But
they need to take the first step
to reach it. It's time to forget
the fears, forget the stigma,
forget the procrastination ?
and run, don't walk, to the
nearest qualified housing
counselor.
Kathy Banks is director of
Counseling, Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of Forsyth
County.
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