PRESS RELEASE
American foreign policy in Africa over the past one-half decade has vacillated on a pendulum of confusion and ineptitude. Nowhere has this fact been more magnified than in the Horn of Africa. The irrefutable evidence is that the current U.S. administration has sleepwalked its way through the Darfur catastrophe and botched the job in Somalia through its proxy regime, and is now muddling through the Kenya fiasco. Due to the inept foreign policy of the current administration, more people in Africa today mistrust and fear the United States than at any time in the past several decades.
It is high time for a fundamental change in U.S. foreign policy in Africa, and particularly in Ethiopia. It is time for the U.S. to abandon its support of African dictators, and pursue policies that uplift and advance the people of Africa. It is the right time for America to change its policy of support for a regime in Ethiopia that disregards human rights, disdains freedom, flouts the rule of law and sneers at freedom. It is time for an American president who will stand up for human rights in Ethiopia, and demand of those who violate human righst to stand down!
The Coalition for H.R. 2003 believes Senator Barack Obama is the one man who is uniquely situated to understand the profound suffering of the African people, and empathise with their deepest hopes and yearing for freedom. His vision for America is to to use the great American ideals to conquer the hearts and minds of the people of the world, and not to build up vicious dictators to use American military and economic aid to repress their citizens.
We endorse Senator Obama for president because we believe he is the candidate best able to address the human rights needs of the Ethiopian people. We believe he understands our situation better than any other candidate in the pack. He knows what it means to have the peoples’ voices stolen. Just a few weeks ago, the presidential election in his father’s country was stolen. He understands what it means to be deprived of human and civil rights. His mother was a tireless advocate for civil rights, and he has spent much of his professional life organizing and defending the rights of the poor, the voiceless and the dispossesed. Senator Obama also understands what it means to be weak and powerless in society, because not so long ago, he had experienced firsthand the inequalities of race and class.
Though we believe Senator Obama will pursue a policy mutually beneficial to America and Africa, we are not unmindful of his historic presidential bid. We agree with Seneator Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy that Barack Obama is the only presidential contender since John F. Kennedy who has demonstrated the same combination of vision, charisma, hope and thoughtfulness that will overcome an ugly tradition of bigotry older than the American Republic. In much the same way as John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama today inspires Americans in all walks of life. He reaches the hearts and minds of the young and old, the black, white, brown and yellow, the poor and rich, and the urban, suburban and rural residents.
The Coalition for H.R. 2003 unreservedly endorses Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. The Coalition urges all Ethiopian Americans to support Senator Obama with their votes, time, money and efforts. Senator Obama said it is time for a CHANGE in America. For Ethiopian Americans that change begins with enactment of H.R. 2003.
Let’s join hands and help elect Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States.
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