In these days America remains one of the most democratic countries in the world. But still there are many problems our society cannot cope with. So there are some problems that I think should be primarily addressed by the 44th President of the United States. One of the most topical of them is flaws of American criminal justice system. Nowadays most prisons are overcrowded. According to the latest research, one out of 37 Americans was imprisoned at least once. 7 out of 1000 American citizens are imprisoned now. In Western Europe for example only one out of a thousand is in jail. As opposed to other western democracies about three thousand people are waiting for execution of capital sentence (Schwartz).
In America there exist favorable conditions for mass media. But still there is some evidence that American journalists face numerous difficulties too. One of the most important problems in this sphere is the growing tendency of authorities to influence the work of mass media (Katz).
But the problem of racial inequality still remains Achilles’ heel of American democracy. Inequality of property is one more issue to address. The number of poor black-skinned American citizens is approximately twice bigger than that of whites. For children from poor Afro-American families it is very difficult to get a proper education. It means that their chances to become rich one day are rather low, and their children in their turn will also be unable to get higher education.
In big cities still there are areas where only Afro-Americans live, and these areas are avoided by white Americans. The strong evidence is presented by mass media to support the idea of unequal treatment of Afro-Americans and Hispanics. “A black man has a 1 in 3 chance of being in prison in his lifetime compared with a 1 in 17 chance for a white man.” The gap between white and black Americans gradually becomes less, but still there is much work to do. “The justified celebration of pluralism can obscure the substantial and enduring gap between whites and blacks in the United States” (Schwartz).
I think that the problem of racial inequality has to be addressed first of all; and this problem is the most difficult one to solve. Some new approaches to the problem must be invented. I think the problem should be addressed in school firstly. Some developing programs for children should be worked out. In higher educational establishments Afro-American students should have more benefits. It is important to improve nondiscriminatory laws. I think there is not enough information about oppression which Afro-Americans still face in mass media.
I think Barak Obama can solve these problems, and he will be the victorious candidate. African Americans have never had a worldly renowned transformational leader (American Election News). He is an extremely charismatic and intelligent person with pure reputation. Obama is a brilliant speaker and a strong leader. I think Barak Obama can solve this problem also because his father was born in Kenya, and he must know from his own experience what racial inequality is. What is more, Barak means “one who is blessed” (Neita). He is considered to be the most progressive candidate in the sphere of social politics. In these days most of the voters understand the importance of changing American foreign policy, because they are interested in prestige of their country.
Works Cited
American Election News. 2008. Web.
Katz, Michael & Stern, Mark.Beyond Discrimination: Understanding African American Inequality in the Twenty-First Century. 2007.
Neita, Dave. London via Jamaica via Africa. 2008. Web.
Schwartz, Emma. The Biggest Threat to American Freedom. 2007. Web.