The Battle for America

The year was 31 B. C. The date was September 2. History has recorded it as the Battle of Actium. This was the final war of the Roman Republic. Rome had been living on the edge since the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March. The frail and fleeting Second Triumvirate formed between Octavian Caesar, Mark Anthony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus to rule Rome had broken and Octavian had been successful in declaring Mark Antony as an enemy of the state. The economy was crumbling, the soldiers who made up the Roman Legions had been stretched too thin and the Republic was in a state of transition not knowing what would happen next. Octavian led his legions under the command of his best friend and able General Marcus Agrippa to the Ionian Sea in Greece to the colony of Actium for a showdown with Mark Anthony and his legions as well as an army that Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt had raised for him with her money. While historians have not been kind to Cleopatra, recent works like Cleopatra: The Last Queen of Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley, show the sheer brilliance and intellectual prowess of Cleopatra VII. Anthony would have never have had a fighting chance without Cleopatra’s money and means.

Fast forward to November 4, 2008. It is Election Day in the United States of America. This is our Battle of Actium. This is the Battle for America. Like Rome in 31 B. C. our economy is bad, our troops are stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan; and our future is cloudy. Voters are turning out in record numbers to choose the man who they believe can turn the economy around, bring our troops home and restore America’s reputation in the world. They are casting their vote for the man whom they believe will bring hope and help to mainstreet America.

In this battle for America I stood in line for over two hours during early voting in Georgia as I waited to cast my ballot for Senator Barack Obama. I was not as encouraged by the wait as I was by who was waiting. I watched African-American male after African-American male wait in line and play political analyst as they waited. Historically, black males cast their ballots at a lower percentage than any other members of the voting populous. However, during this campaign that has not been the case. I saw "brothers" from every walk of the African-American community wait in line with me. There were brothers from the "hood" to "Peachtree Street" who waited to vote and gave their assessment of the Battle for America as they waited. The common thread that knitted us together on that day was our understanding that this election is a battle for America.

November 4, 2008 is our Actium. The legions of Barack Obama supporters have marched, called, knocked, emailed and texted as they have held up the Barack Obama standard. They and we understand that America is at a crossroads. Octavian knew that Actium would change the course of the Rome. Barack Obama knows that today’s vote will change the course of America and we believe that he best represents the change that we need. For the past twenty-two months we have heard him talk about the change that he wants to bring.

America is at a critical crossroad. Our hopes and dreams are on the line at the ballot box today. The choices are clear. Will we choose four more years of the horror and hurt from the current administration or will we turn the page and embrace the powerful possibilities that Obama offers? The Battle for America today is a battle for healthcare, education, economic stability and the restoration of the American dream. The past eight years have brought us to this moment and we must choose our future today.

In the Battle of Actium Roman fought against Roman. Roman fought against Egyptian. This was a battle for the future of the Republic of Rome. On September 2, 31 B. C. Octavian and his legions prevailed. Anthony and Cleopatra fled back to Alexandria, that great city of imperial intellectual splendor where both would eventually commit suicide in August of 30 B. C. One man now stood tall above all men in the known world: Octavian. Octavian was so successful after Actium that in 27 B. C. he was awarded the title "Augustus"  and "Princeps" (first citizen) by the Senate and the People of Rome. He went on to move Rome from a Republic to an Empire that would rule the known world for over 1,500 years. All of western civilization is based upon the foundations that Augustus established.

Will Barack Obama be the "New Augustus" of this millennium? Earlier this year in one of my blogs, I argued that God ordains certain men and women at certain times in human history to provide leadership and direction in turbulent times. Today in the Battle for America I believe that man is Barack Obama.