State Representative Mike Sturla and Mayor Rick Gray welcomed Presidential Candidate Barack Obama to the Red Rose City. About a thousand people from Lancaster, PA gathered in the John Barley Center at Thaddeus Stevens College of Techology to hear Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama. Senator Obama's speech of his objectives as President paralleled many of Congressman Stevens achievements as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Stevens "The Great Commoner," championed the cause of free public education in Pennsylvania, and was a national Republican leader in the struggles against slavery in the United States and intrepid mainstay of the attempt to secure racial justice for the freedmen during Reconstruction according to HansTrefousse. A new statue of Stevens, the Champion of Freedom, will be unveiled this Friday at the College. Stevens held a deep dislike for all secret organizations. Obama promised to hold an meeting between healthcare providers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers televised on CSPAN.   

Stevens fought in the legislature for free elementary schools. Obama has declared that early childhood education is a key area that the Federal government can assist in developing. While he stated that teachers are the most important ingredient in our schools; he also noted that we need every parent to parent. Parents need to meet with teachers and instill a sense of excellence in children. Children that start school behind, stay behind; and can be disruptive in the classroom. The investment of $1 in early childhood education is returned ten-fold. The Federal government can provide money and high standards for education so that are children are better prepared to compete in a global economy. As Stevens College provides an education for a diverse student body; Obama hopes to provide tuition credits so that more people can afford college. Whereas Dick Cheney met with oil & gas companies 40 times while developing our current energy policy; Obama plans to examine the $11B in profits that Exxon made last quarter. Through research and development in alternative and appropriate energy sources, green technology woul provide millions of jobs in wind, solar, and biodiesel.

Sherry Wolfe of the Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice queried the candidate about his voting record in respect to civil rights. Perhaps Obama will make a later trip to Lancaster to visit the Thaddeus Stevens museum that will open next to the Convention Center. Obama expressed gratitude for the civil rights movement of the 1960s, without which he would not have been able to be a candidate for President of the U.S. He also mentioned that the Patriot Act was not the greatest attack on civil rights; but all the Executive Orders that President George W. Bush has pushed through secretively including the suspension of habeus corpus and the extraction of people to foreign prisons.

A good sign is that Obama emphasized his belief in Parity for medical treatment and medication for the mentally ill. The Presidential hopeful would probably favor the development of the mental health court that is planned in Lancaster; as he said that police officers are spending too much of their time engaged in social services to the homeless and mentally ill. Through emphasizing prevention, Obama hopes to save $150B. With that savings, the U.S. would be able to cover Americans who do not presently have insurance; and reduce the amount of premiums by $2,500 annually for those who obtain insurance through their employers.

The War in Iraq and Afghanistan has lasted longer than either WWI or WWII. Obama blamed this situation on the lack of civilian leadership that has failed to develop a stategy on te removal of troops from the area. The Candidate would have our troops home with their families in 2009. While Vice President Dick Cheney told Americans on national television that he did not care what they think; Obama is very concerned that those in Washington are not listening to the voices of the Veterans returning home from Iraq & Afghanistan. Obama will work towards providing healthcare for our Veterans; and to ensure that they are not excluded for pre-existing conditions.