Opinion

I recently had to write a paper about the Christian community, specifically as to how baptism is supposed to remove racism and gender-bias. While most of the paper was very specific to Christianity, I feel that one of the points I made is relevant to the wider world.

On October 29, a group of students from the multi-cultural services office, myself included, experienced an opportunity of a lifetime. Senator Barack Obama was in Charlottesville, Virginia to campaign running for the presidential office. Although I am not a big fan of politics, I wanted to see for myself what Senator Obama had to say. A variety of people attended this event, including blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, and Middle Easterners. While Senator Obama had a wonderful sense of humor, he simultaneously talked about issues that need to be addressed and issues that influence my generation.

I don’t care if your stance on immigration is liberal or conservative, if your native language is English, Spanish, or something else, or if you plan to be a missionary or an entrepreneur. If you want to live and work anywhere in the western hemisphere, try to grasp the complex social issues behind the influx of immigration from Latin America into the United States, and maybe even learn a new language in the process.