During the campaign that led to the 2008 election, I submitted a question through MySpace for a presidential town hall involving MTV and The Washington Post. Chris Cillizza was one of the hosts. My question was read aloud to Barack Obama.
The question
I asked about the profiling people had experienced since September 11. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and people from other backgrounds were being judged by their appearance. What would he do to help reduce that?
That is the substance of the question as I remember it. I’m still trying to find the original recording.
Feeling heard
What stayed with me was how directly he answered. He acknowledged Sikh Americans and other minorities who had been subject to profiling, recognized that it wasn’t easy, and said no one should be treated unfairly.
I remember him bringing statistics into his response and talking about reviewing policies and working within government to reduce profiling. His answer felt informed, honest, and specific. Hearing him acknowledge Sikh Americans meant something to me. I felt heard.
Showing up
After that exchange, I volunteered for his campaign in 2008. I went to official campaign offices and joined phone banks, making calls to help get out the vote.
My participation began with a question submitted online and continued with calls to voters. Both are part of what I remember about that election.
This is my recollection of the exchange, rather than a transcript of Obama’s remarks.
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