I am Canadian, and for the last 8 years I have been watching with dismay at how the U.S. has been hurtling politically and philosophically into this bizarre 18th century mindset. Everything in America seemed to be guided by this tight set of guys who have their own agenda in disrupting peace around the world, in stopping research in important areas, in mocking irrefutable scientific knowledge, in not taking steps to fight global warming, in taking the entire world in a direction of hatred and suspicion. The world and our own daily lives have changed beyond recognition in the last eight years, and the biggest share of the blame rests with the Bush administration.

Barack Obama is right. Experience is not everything. Judgment is... To be able to step back and see the Big Picture, not the narrow selfish interests of a small coterie of bigots. The Big Picture is that America is a unique part of this unique planet of ours.

And that a Big Brother is not supposed to be the one who is a Big Bully, but the one with the biggest shoulders, the biggest heart, the one who acts wisely, and the one who understands every action taken in haste will have unconscionable consequences for years and years.

The world needs Barack, the one who is not burdened with cynicism, and years of dealing with the same-old same-old. The world needs Barack because he has opened our arms and minds to embrace the fact that we can all work together to make the world and America a better place.

Keya Majoomdar

Oakville, Ontario

Canada