Martin
walked, so Obama could run...
Obama
ran, so our children can FLY !
“Yes We Can” Essay Activity
Directions:
You will select a song or write an
original song, that expresses the goals, ideals, principles, and values put
forth in President–Elect Barack Obama’s election night speech. We watched the
entire speech in class (click here to view
speech) and below are excerpts that
will help to remind you of the central ideas and themes expressed in his
message. You will write a brief essay in which you clearly identify and discuss central concepts and themes of the speech,
as you understand them. You must also discuss
your song and explain how it is similar in meaning to the speech and why it
would be a good anthem or theme song for the incoming Obama administration.
Be sure to discuss the significance of
specific lines or stanzas in the song, as well as the title of the song in
your typed, double-spaced essay.
Please attach the song lyrics to
your essay.
President-Elect Barack Obama
Election Night Speech;
If there is anyone out there
who still doubts that
So let us summon a new spirit
of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch
in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other...– in
this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
And to all those who have
wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once
more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our
arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals:
democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius
of
This election had many firsts
and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my
mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in
She was born just a
generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes
in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she
was a woman and because of the color of her skin...And this year, in this
election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after
106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she
knows how America can change. Yes we can.
This is our chance to answer
that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people
back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity
and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that
fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we
hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that
we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a
people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless
you, and may God Bless the
7th and 8th
grade essays
“For that is the true genius of
“
The song “How Far We’ve Come” by Matchbox
20 reminds me of this speech because it not only talks about how much we’ve
accomplished, but it asks the listener to think what is special about an
individual and what they can do to make a difference. “Can you tell me what was really ever special
about me all this time?” This is a quote
from the Matchbox 20 song that really delivers a message. The song also says
“Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s gone?” This really makes us think that when we’re
gone, will our actions have made a difference for not only us, but the
generations after us? Will what we do
now for ourselves, make a difference for others when we are no longer on this
Earth? Barack Obama mentions a similar
thing in the Election Night speech when he talks about his daughters and the
future world they will live in.
Change doesn’t happen by itself, people
make it happen. Our hopes and dreams
today, will bring changes and opportunities for our future. We have the possibility to make these
positive changes in the world we live in.
President-Elect Obama stated, “through the best of times and the darkest
of hours we know
~ ** ~
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts
that
In Obama’s speech he taught about how he
was the President for all of us in our political system, not just for the ones
that voted for him. This part of the speech reminded me of when James Taylor
sings, “They’ll hurt you and desert you. Well they’ll even take your soul if
you let them.” Our President–Elect Obama didn’t let them, and he became the
first black, President-Elect.
Also in his speech he told the story of a
woman, Ann Nixon Cooper, who is 106 years old. In her life she went from not
being able to vote for two reasons, “Because she was a woman and because of the
color of her skin.” But now she has the choice to select who to elect to be the
President because in this culture everyone is equal. Earlier in her life she
was denied her human rights, but now she has the power to vote for a President
of this great country.
Obama said, “This is our chance to answer
that call. This is our moment. This is our time- to put our people back to
work and open doors of opportunities for our kids.” It made me remember about
when Taylor sang, “If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds,
and that old north wind should begin to blow, keep your head together and call
my name out loud.” To me that part of the song means that I will help you and
have empathy no matter what and that is what Barack Obama said he would do. In
conclusion if we set aside our differences and work together we can turn the
economy around and make this country great again. “Yes we can.”
~ ** ~
Obama says “In this country, we rise or fall as
one nation, as one people” and this is like saying “we’re all in this together”
because if we rise or fall as a nation then we are one. The song says “We’ve
arrived because we stuck together” and we have come so far from having slavery
and having only men to vote, to not judging by color of skin, showing empathy
for one another and being able to vote, and people like Ann Nixon Cooper have
experienced the country change along with other people in it.
Barack Obama’s speech was about being as
one, change, achievements and freedom. He talks about Ann Nixon Cooper, and how
far Americans come, having us all be as one, and the strength of our
nation. Obama talks a lot about change,
he says “this is our moment. This is our time-to put our people back to work
and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote
the cause of peace.” He is basically saying that its time for change to come.
In the song it says “together, we’re there for each other every time” so its
like ok we are ready for change and we are ready to help each other, ready to
work together.
The song and speech are also
related because they both talk about hope. In the song it says “That all our
dreams have no limitations” and “Make our dreams come true” which is about
hope. In the speech it says “
“We’re All in this Together” is like
President-Elect Barack Obama’s speech because they both are talking about
teamwork and change. They talk about working together to get something done and
talk about being there for each other.
~ ** ~
If Barack Obama had to choose a song when he was
elected President, he should choose “If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback. This
song explains how everyone can do something to help change the world. Like in
Sara Westbrook’s song, when she says to do something about a problem, don’t
just be a bystander.
President-Elect Obama talks about how
much the nation has changed and can continue to change by the strength of our
diversity, he states “what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we
can and must achieve tomorrow”. Obama also mentioned Ann Nixon Cooper, 106 year
old black woman, and how she’s seen
Some lines in the song suggest that each of us
have the power to make our environment a better place such as ”And as we lie
beneath the stars, we realized how small we are, if they could love like you
and me, imagine what the world could be”. As the song suggests “If everyone
cared” we could be more interdependent as a nation. “We’d see the day, when
nobody died” is a way of saying no one should ever feel that they can’t
exercise their human rights.
Obama states that we can change the country and
all improve our lives as a culture. Each individual can make a difference in
the world even though it might be small. As the song says, “If everyone cared,
we’d see the day when nobody died”.
Obama doesn’t want to be a bystander because in
his speech he says to the people if anybody has a problem with what I’m doing
or needs help in there community, talk to me. The song shows what options
powerful people have and Obama will always try to make the right choice, even
if you’re a small person just like everyday you and me. We could make a good
choice and change something that could mean a lot to someone in some way.
~ ** ~
“For money, power, respect the army’s got to go
kill their under contract so let the blood spill.” The song I have chosen is called
“Graffiti the World” which is sung by Rehab. This song is about the problems
with the world and today’s youth. President-Elect Obama’s speech talked about
fixing the world and he could have played this song to show the different
things he is going to fix.
“Our children should live to see the next
century” is what Obama said in his speech. In the song it states that “The
youth is becoming more suicidal.” Obama could use his Presidential power and
try to stop children from committing suicide.
“Graffiti the World” as I have said,
talks about many problems such as “Is it that our biggest barrier is language
or is oil so important that one would inflict anguish. So a car can deplete the
ozone highways that stretch across the land where Indians once raised families.
We’re in denial, the world is afraid and you say there are no more slaves.” The
message of the song is that the world is a very troublesome place. It should
have been played to demonstrate the different things that Obama could fix.
“Graffiti the land with sky scrapers, graffiti the sky with airplanes and
satellites, graffiti the mind of children with your man made laws, graffiti the
world I saw the writing on the wall.”
The
lead singer of this band, Danny Alexander, explained the inspiration of this
song when he said, “Sort of morbid ain’t it, this picture I just painted it’s
an epiphany I had. I realized how tainted our thinking really is while in
~ ** ~
When people are around you, hurting, crying,
wanting help, just reach a hand out and help, and show that you care for
others. I picked the song “We Shall Be Free” by Garth Brooks that
connected to the election- night speech given by President- Elect Barack Obama.
Obama’s speech is about
I chose “We Shall Be Free” by Garth Brooks as a theme song for President- Elect
because it has power in it. In the song it says, “We Shall Be Free” because
Finally, when you walk, keep your head up! When you fall, get back up and
keep going like nothing happened! When you fall, keep your hands high
like your going to heaven! Never look behind, keep looking forward!
When you see someone, stop and bring them along with you. Garth Brooks
song “We Shall Be Free” and Obama’s speech, “Yes We Can” both have
interdependence, power, and change in them. The point they are trying to
make is everyone should be free and
~ ** ~
“Yes We Can.” This was one of President-Elect
Barack Obama’s sayings in his campaign. The song, “Freedom”, by Madonna is a
good choice because it talks about how we are free, and how we can work
together in unity and make things work. She explains in her song that “no is
just a word that people say” when they are lost and that you can’t say “no” to
her because she will fight you till she’s free.
She claims in her song that we should have hope
and say “yes” to “freedom, brotherhood, justice” and President-Elect Barack
Obama said that we are going to have hope in our country and we will get
through our troubles. He said in his speech that we will work together, ”out of
many we are one” and Madonna said that we will work together for our freedom.
Madonna says in her song that say “yes” and that is a sign of hope and in
President-Elect Barack Obama says “
Madonna says “brotherhood” in her song which is a
sign of working together, when President-Elect Barack Obama says “each of us
resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each
other- in this country we rise and fall as one nation; as one people.” Her song
is mostly about freeing herself and working together and Obama says that “we
work together as one nation as one people and that out of many we are one, and
while we breathe, we hope”.
In conclusion, Madonna and President-Elect Barack
Obama both hope that we can work together and have hope for our country. I
think that helping people is good for
~ ** ~
The song “Brand New Day” by: Van Morrison, is
about a man who being hurt and double crossed but was never going to give up on
anything. This is why I chose this song because it kind of connects to
President-Elect Barack Obama’s speech. Obama said “Yes we can”. Meaning that we
can change the world with his help. We can change the negatives into the
positives, the poor into the rich, and hopeless into the hopeful. All of the
songs we played in class connect in more than one way to Obama’s speech. The
song I chose connects with the speech because, the song tells about pain and
hurt, but how the person will, and chooses not to ever give up. They think in a
positive way even though they’re being hurt at the same time, but that doesn’t
stop that person. Obama also said “there’s so much more to do”, and he’s being
honest and telling the truth. We have so much to do and so much to change, but
he’s willing to take the time to do it. Obama is what we’ve needed for quite
awhile for this country. Finally, the positive change is coming. As Obama
said “yes we can.”
Barack Obama’s speech is mainly about him
explaining how he can change
The song; “Brand New Day” by Van Morrison, is
about how everyone has been hurt but they never give up. It has a similar
message as Obama’s speech because, Obama talked about how everyone in our
country is hurting at this time. The song tells how people have been abused and
misused. The person never gives up and fights back. One of the lines in the
song says, “I was longtime hurt and thrown in the dirt”. Which means that
they’ve been hurting for so much time. They have been treated like dirt. A
positive line in the song is, “And my eyes got hooked, on that beautiful
morning sun”. It would be a great anthem because it shows that the person never
gives up no matter what they have to go through. It would match part of what
Obama stands up for. But it is one of the main things he talks about in his
speeches he gives. When he gives his speeches he tells at least one story about
one important person that not many people know about. Obama will change the
world. You just wait and see. Yes we can.
In my conclusion I want to say that we need change
and we need it now. The songs we listened to in class, and the poems and lyrics
we read all have to do with Obama’s speech, and it all connects together. When
we look back on all of our past presidents, few have accomplished everything
they promised. The message Obama gave us is important because he told the
country what we have accomplished. We accomplished a lot in the past, but some
of the things we accomplished were negative and that’s not our goal as one. As
a country, we have got to agree on what is signed and done. We all should have
a say in what happens. “Yes we can change”. Positively.
~ ** ~
The song “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King relates to
President-Elect Obama’s speech in a couple different ways. In both Barack
Obama’s speech and Ben E. King’s song they both talk about friendship and
working together. Yes we can work together and as
one.
In the song it says “I won’t cry just as long as you stand by me.” This
is an example of working together. Obama says “to pitch in and work
harder.” This says that we should all help and stand by each other don’t
give up and work together which is said by Obama, “and look after not only
ourselves but each other” and we should all work together as one nation and we
can over come any challenge, and do anything as when we are one, anything is
possible.
The lyrics, ”No I won’t be afraid, No I won’t be afraid” says not to be afraid
but be hopeful and don’t give up. Obama states have “unyielding hope.”
Don’t give up just keep on going, don’t let yourself be alone, be together as
one, and as one we work together. “As we breathe, we hope” this is saying
basically every step and breath we take we will hope for something great.
We should hope because if we have hopes and dreams we can fly and do
anything. As with hopes and dreams any thing is possible with a little
work.
“Yes we can” we can work together. “Yes we can” stand by each other. “Yes
we can” we can have hope and be as one in the same. We can live forever
working together as one. We are one and “we will respond with that
timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people…. Yes we can.”
~ ** ~
As you well know our new President-Elect is Barack
Obama and he gave a speech which says, ‘Yes We
The speech that President-Elect Obama said was very inspiring to people who
might be discouraged about anything that has come along in their lives. Obama
keeps talking about whoever had a question about where things are possible, or
who still wonders about the power of our democracy, he told them they would
find their answers here. His exact words were, “If there is anyone out there
who still doubts that America is a place there all things are possible; who
still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still
questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” I think that
this section of the speech was to say that when he is President that he is
going to give the American people answers about what is going on in the world
and how he is going to make it better. He was also saying that this was the
choice of the American people that he is President of the
The song that I chose has to go with the speech that Barack Obama gave because
before the speech, he was hoping that he was going to be President of the
not
be any hate because we would not be able to see people and judge them, we would
only know them for their personalities not based on what they look like. Another
quote that I like from the song that has to do with what Barack Obama speech
was about was, “Wish that God could protect us from the wrong So that all the
soldiers that were sent over seas come home.” I think that is has to do with
his speech because eventually Barack will bring home the troops because he
knows that it has been a long time since they have seen their families and he
knows that he doesn’t want to be exactly like Bush and not let them come home
and just send more over seas because of all the dead and wounded. I am proud
that Barack Obama is going to be our up and coming President because I want
some change so the world will live for another million years and counting.
The song and the speech are both inspiring because they both have a really
strong point about how the world and the people on it need to change and to try
to make the world a better place. If none of us work together then we will
never have any effect but if you look at the speech and the song then you realize
that it is better to hope and pray for it, than just try to make it worse in
the world. When I think about it, I realize that what we are all usually
thinking is that the world needs to get better at people skills and everything.
But we really just think about it and we don’t act on what we are thinking
about and I think that we should really try to make what is in our head work
and try the idea with someone else and see if they think that the idea is good
then you can start a group and make a huge effect on the community. But if we
all look at the speech and the song, they were very helpful and useful and may
cause the next 18 year old senator or the next woman President. The way
everything is in the speech and song is set up perfectly because they are both
trying to let you think for yourself and not what some President wants you to
think, they are saying that this is a free country and you may think your
little heart out until you burst with ideas that are world changing.
~ ** ~
”For that is the true genius of
The main idea of President-Elect Obama’s speech
was to show that no matter what our identity is, we can reach our goals by
helping each other. This is shown when he says we should, “Look after not
only ourselves, but each other…-in this country, we rise or fall as one nation;
as one people.” Obama believes that any dreams could come true. One
thing he says is that, “
The song by Jaci Velasquez, “We Can Make a Difference” is all about showing
people that when they know something isn’t right, to work to make things better
by coming together to change the world. Just like Obama’s speech.
In the song the lines that say “We can make a difference, We can make change,
We can make the world a better place” really relates to Obama because he too
wants the world to come together to make
Dreams are things that can happen only if you believe in setting your heart to
it. One main line in the song that brought attention was “Teach the world
to smile.” This brings a lot to the world. To smile is a great way
to express your feelings. Smile to be happy. Look at Obama, he is
always smiling. He shows that he is true to what he says. We all
can make a difference. “Yes We Can”.
~ ** ~
I chose the song, “How Far We’ve Come,” by
Matchbox 20. This song matches President-Elect Barack Obama’s speech in quite a
few ways. The song and the speech represent change in
In Barack Obama’s speech he said, “
In the song “How Far We’ve Come,” there are some lyrics that go along with
Obama’s exceptional speech. “Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s
gone,” “Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?”
and “Let’s see how far we’ve come,” are a few of the lyrics from the song that
go along with his speech. The first song quote relates because it basically
saying that he’s thinking about the future and not just about today which is
exactly what Obama was saying in his speech. The second song quote in relation
to the speech means that Obama is special because he’s the first African
American President and Obama was
asking
everyone what was special about them all this time. The last song quote is what
Obama was talking about in his speech, that America has come far in its life,
and that we can see the difference from 1850-2008 in that now an African
American can be president.
~ ** ~
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask
what you can do for your country,” is a famous quote by John F. Kennedy that
reminds me of President-Elect Barack Obama’s election night speech. With the stock market crashing and all the
financial bailouts we are digging ourselves into a hole, a hole that an
American dreamer can repair. Barack
Obama can fix the problems of the
President-Elect Obama’s speech is all about change
and how interdependence can fix this country.
He also says a lot about “yes we can” and “the spirits of a
people.” He wants to lift up the people
with his ideas. Obama also talks about a
106 year old woman named Ann Nixon Cooper and how she was born in a time when
women, as well as African Americans, couldn’t vote. Now an African American is going to be
president. That shows you how much our country has changed in a century. This part of Obama’s speech, “And to all
those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright-tonight we
proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might
of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our
ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope,” means the same
thing as this part of my song, “It was the night things changed, can see it
now, these walls that they put up to hold us back fell down. It’s a
revolution. Throw your hands up cause we
never gave in.” Both are saying that we
can break through all those things that are put up to stop us.
“Change” is a good theme song for President-Elect
Obama’s administration. He is all about
change in his speech. The song talks
about overcoming weaknesses, and how the revolution will come. This part of the song “Tonight we’ll stand
and get off our knees, fight for what we’ve worked for all these years. And the battle was long, it’s the fight of
our lives and we’ll stand up, champions tonight” relates to this part of his
speech, “So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and
responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look
after not only ourselves, but each other…- in this country, we rise or fall as
one nation; as one people.” They both
talk about working hard for change.
A great man, Martin Luther King Jr. once said
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous
struggle. And so we must straighten our
backs and work for our freedom.” Barack
Obama is working to continue King’s dream for our nation. Our country made a choice to elect Obama, and
that shows that we are ready for more diversity. Change might be the only thing that can save
our country, and Obama’s speech and Swift’s song both talk about the importance
of change. I am part of the next
generation, and we are making positive changes for my future.