I believe Obama’s inauguration was a great day for Americans and citizens of the world to close a chapter on a painful eight years, marred with economic incompetence and trigger-happy diplomacy.

Instead, we open a new chapter of hope. However, my support for President Barack Obama is based on the man’s personality, his experience, his dogged determination and his passion rather than any colour of skin.

On the national BNP website, there is a story about how Obama’s presidency will affect the BNP. They argue with relish that he is doomed to failure.

They are convinced Obama’s victory was not due to Obama’s politics transcending race, but due to a reinforcement of it due to black people voting.

This is rubbish. They also argue that Obama is mixed race and is therefore not black enough to call himself black, that he is some kind of fraud.

As someone who has Irish, French, Canadian and Spanish ancestry, I find this whole idea ridiculous. Who cares what colour Obama is? Let’s just hope he does a good job. As JFK said, “We all breath the same air”.

Coun James Alexander, Prospective Labour MP for York Outer, Holgate, York.


* AFTER watching the complete inauguration speech from Barack Obama, I could not disagree more with Nicholas Guyatt, lecturer in American history at the University of York (The Press, January 20) and his sceptical opinion of what is an historical and fresh start for America and the way it is perceived by the rest of the world.

Obama’s speech came over as the most sincere I have ever heard, and was straight between the eyes with no punches pulled on the realities of what the USA has to face for a tremendous turnaround of the way America is run.

He is even wanting to create the equivalent of our own NHS. Let us hope he ignores what has happened to our NHS in the last ten years after New Labour meddled and tried to turn it into a accountable business.

I think President Barack Obama will not only change America for the better, but also the rest of the world.

Bob Waite, Holgate, York.


* THERE is no doubt the country and the whole world are in deep trouble and worsening, but Barack Obama has shown vision, restored hopes, renewed trust and confidence in a new future for his country and the world.

He has awakened the will of his countrymen, the energy, eagerness and ride to go forward together as a united nation to a new future.

Gordon Brown has experience and energy in plenty and has got his lot working hard to survive the coming election and the dangerous times.

At least they will have less time for 100 per cent-off shopping at John Lewis with our money. They and the Tories are bringing back the old brigade to add weight to their in-fighting.

But where is our knight in shining armour with the vision to awaken and unite us with the same sort of spirit, determination and unity and go forward united with new levels of democracy for the disenfranchised and trustworthy Government? We have no choice but to do our best with what we have.

George Appleby, Clifton Without, York.


* UNFORTUNATELY, there wasn’t a supernova spotted in the eastern sky on Tuesday morning. If there had been, it would have been the final piece in the adulation process surrounding Barak Obama to have him hailed as the new Messiah.

Luckily, for we more pragmatic Brits, we can look on all the hysteria surrounding Mr Obama’s elevation to President Obama with a slightly more humorous slant when we hear the rallying cry from his followers of “Yes we can!” as we instantly get a mental picture of Bob The Builder.

Has there ever been more hopes pinned on one man before?

President Obama has got a mighty cross to bear and let’s hope he’s the man to do it, as there are so many, many people worldwide looking towards him as being, with, or without, the supernova, the new Messiah and, as such, they will be expecting miracles, more-or-less, from the word go.

Unfortunately, he is a mere mortal, with the normal strengths and weaknesses of mortals, and to pin such high hopes on him is both frightening and unrealistic. Let us hope and pray he can keep the impetus of his electioneering going into, and beyond, his first days/weeks of presidency and deliver what is so fervently hoped of him.

A long, hard, furrow to plough I fear.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge.