By Mark Lowry

Reporter Newspapers

Here we are with another Presidential election behind us. It is a time that will definitely be marked as a part of American history due to a variety of factors, including the fact that we have our first-ever African-American President.

I personally am thrilled to have Barack Obama in office. He was my choice early on and I couldn’t be more excited to have a breath of fresh air in the Oval Office.

I do have to mention that I am a little bit distressed with how my journalistic counterparts are handling this moment in time. I, like many Americans, was watching as many news sources as I could during the election and in the time after. I noticed one local TV news station in particular that turned this moment into a series of stories not about the fact that a highly qualified candidate is in office...but a series of stories on the fact that an African-American is in office and how African Americans are reacting. Shouldn’t this great moment concentrate on how Americans in general are reacting?

I very much understand that this is significant historically for our nation. What troubles me is seeing this local news channel, (and many others) do repeated “location” broadcasts from areas that were only attended by African Americans. What was the purpose of that...was it to demonstrate that we have an African-American in office? Was it because only African-Americans should be allowed to comment on the fact that Barack is in office? Is it somehow an attempt to make up for the racial wrongs of the past? In my opinion these broadcasts took away from the fact that an amazing new president will be taking office.

Matt Lauer on the Today show asked the question regarding Barack Obama being elected, “Is it a giant leap forward for race relations...Do we need to wait to see how this has transformed us.” This question was posed to Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House in Dallas, a multi-cultural church with almost 29,000 members. Jakes’ reply was the voice of reason: “I don’t think it is so much the election itself that has transformed us — I think it is the transformation that created the election. It is not so much that him moving into position he will move the nation forward, but it is the fact that the nation moved forward to the point that he is now eligible to move into this position.”

I seriously don’t think I am being naive when I say as I always have...the presidential race, and all other matters in life should not be about the color of a person’s skin, it should be about the quality and qualifications of the person. Barack Obama is a highly educated, forward-thinking individual who will bring a fresh eye and hopefully some new ideas to the White House. In my opinion that is the ONLY thing we should be concerned about. Perhaps if we as Americans were more concerned with the love of our fellow Americans, we could be in a much better place, we would be able to have a more harmonious life with less conflict and more prosperity for all.

Just my opinion...which I can happily and safely give because I am an American living in what I think, despite its problems, is the greatest country in the world.

Mark Lowry is the Reporter photographer. Reach him at 391-0363, ext. 5050 or mlowry@reporternewspapers.com.