Dreams from My Father (Barack Obama) [2004].pdf

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1、BarackObamaDreamsfromMyFather“Forwearestrangersbeforethem,andsojourners,aswereallourfathers.1CHRONICLES29:15PREFACETOTHE2004EDITIONALMOSTADECADEHASpassedsincethisbookwasfirstpublished.AsImentionintheoriginalintroduction,theopportunitytowritethebookcam

2、ewhileIwasinlawschool,theresultofmyelectionasthefirstAfrican-AmericanpresidentoftheHarvardLawReview.Inthewakeofsomemodestpublicity,Ireceivedanadvancefromapublisherandwenttoworkwiththebeliefthatthestoryofmyfamily,andmyeffortstounderstandthatstory,might

3、speakinsomewaytothefissuresofracethathavecharacterizedtheAmericanexperience,aswellasthefluidstateofidentity-theleapsthroughtime,thecollisionofcultures-thatmarkourmodernlife.Likemostfirst-timeauthors,Iwasfilledwithhopeanddespairuponthebook’spublication

4、-hopethatthebookmightsucceedbeyondmyyouthfuldreams,despairthatIhadfailedtosayanythingworthsaying.Therealityfellsomewhereinbetween.Thereviewsweremildlyfavorable.Peopleactuallyshowedupatthereadingsmypublisherarranged.Thesaleswereunderwhelming.And,aftera

5、fewmonths,Iwentonwiththebusinessofmylife,certainthatmycareerasanauthorwouldbeshort-lived,butgladtohavesurvivedtheprocesswithmydignitymoreorlessintact.Ihadlittletimeforreflectionoverthenexttenyears.Iranavoterregistrationprojectinthe1992electioncycle,be

6、ganacivilrightspractice,andstartedteachingconstitutionallawattheUniversityofChicago.MywifeandIboughtahouse,wereblessedwithtwogorgeous,healthy,andmischievousdaughters,andstruggledtopaythebills.Whenaseatinthestatelegislatureopenedupin1996,somefriendsper

7、suadedmetorunfortheoffice,andIwon.Ihadbeenwarned,beforetakingoffice,thatstatepoliticslackstheglamourofitsWashingtoncounterpart;onelaborslargelyinobscurity,mostlyontopicsthatmeanagreatdealtosomebutthattheaveragemanorwomanonthestreetcansafelyignore(ther

8、egulationofmobilehomes,say,orthetaxconsequencesoffarmequipmentdepreciation).Nonetheless,Ifoundtheworksatisfying,mostlybecausethescaleofstatepoliticsallowsforconcreteresults-anexpansionofhealthinsuranceforpoorchildren,orareformoflawsthatsendinn