ELECTORAL COLLEGES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE FORMALLY ELECTING
THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES TODAY.
22 NEWS STATE HOUSE REPORTER
CHRISTINE LEE IS STANDING BY IN
BOSTON TO EXPLAIN HOW FOR ONE
SPRINGFIELD PASTOR, THIS IS A
VERY PERSONAL EVENT.
WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS FIRST
ELECTED, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN
CHURCH IN SPRINGFIELD WAS BURNED
DOWN. WELL THAT CHURCH HAS SINCE
BEEN REBUILT AND NOW ITS PASTOR
IS HERE AT THE STATE HOUSE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE FORMAL RE-
ELECTION OF OBAMA.
SPRINGFIELD BISHOP BRYANT
ROBINSON JR. OPENS UP THE
MASSACHUSETTS ELECTORAL COLLEGE
CEREMONY WITH A PRAYER. ROBINSON
IS THE PASTOR OF THE MACEDONIA
CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST, A
PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN
CHURCH WHICH WAS BURNED DOWN IN
2008 WHEN BARACK OBAMA BECAME
THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO BE
ELECTED PRESIDENT.
CHURCH HAS BEEN REBUILT, WE'VE
BEEN OCCUPYING IT NOW FOR SOME 2
YEARS SO IT'S A BIT OF A COMING
FULL CIRCLE. AFTER BISHOP
ROBINSON'S REMARKS, THE
MASSACHUSETTS ELECTORAL COLLEGE
FORMALLY CONFIRMED PRESIDENT
OBAMA FOR A SECOND TERM. CANDY
GLAZER SAID ROBINSON'S
APPEARANCE WAS SYMBOLIC.
I THINK HIS CHURCH WILL ALWAYS
BE AFFILIATED WITH PRESIDENT
OBAMA AND THE PRIDE THAT WE HAVE
IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS FOR HIM
AND HIS CHURCH. TODAY, BISHOP
ROBINSON'S CHURCH IS ABOUT 400
FOLLOWERS-STRONG AND THE MEN WHO
COMMITTED A HATE CRIME AGAINST
IT ARE BEHIND BARS.
WE ARE HIGH INTENSITY PRAISE
PEOPLE .AND THAT THAT SITE WILL
NOT BECOME A MONUMENT TO HATRED,
VIOLENCE AND RACISM.
MASSACHUSETTS' 11 VOTES FOR
PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL BE SEALED
AND SENT TO WASHINGTON,
OFFICIALLY CLOSING THE 2012
