Wow, I never thought I would see it. An African American has won the Presidency. If nothing else, this should restore faith in American ideals and democracy. Not just here, but around the world. Already we have seen people all across the globe rejoice in the promise that is the United States.
We all saw it in the faces of the crowd at Grant Park, where Obama gave his speech. From the televised shots of gatherings in Atlanta, and in the streets of DC. It was if a burden of oppression had been lifted off their backs, America’s soiled history on race finally beginning to be wiped clean. True joy gleamed across their faces. Years of struggle for equality finally paid off in something real, something tangible.
And not just with African Americans. Anglo Americans tired of years of racism and disappointed by their country not achieving its full potential due to its inability to allow African Americans full participation in society, they too had a burden lifted off of their shoulders.
Young kids of all colors and creeds (except Islam, unfortunately) now believe they can achieve anything. ‘Yes I can’ they now say.
I drove down by the White House after Obama’s acceptance speech. What a scene. People yelling “Obama!”, hugging each other, waving signs, running wild in the streets. Traffic at a near crawl, horns honking, drivers and passengers waving to everyone, hi-fiving the pedestrians running down the street. Even the taxi drivers were getting in on the action.
It was as if the Washington Redskins had just won the Super Bowl.
“Not just a mere election” I opined, “but something much more than that has just happened. America has turned the page. A new chapter has begun.”
Seriously, the heart and capital of the Confederacy, Virginia, voted to elect America’s first black President. That is transformation.
We do not get to witness history in the making too often. Not on this scale. We should savor it while we can. Soon the nasty tit for tat will begin, and we will go back to our daily grind. But even if you disagree with the policies of Obama and the Democrats, something transcendent just happened. We chose hope over fear, ability over skin color, progress over regress. And for that we should be proud.
There is a brotha’ in the White House. There is a friggin’ brotha’ in the White House!
Amen.
Except that Prop 8 passed in California, and anti-gay marriage amendments passed in Florida and Arizona. Or the Arkansas amendment that prohibits non-married couples from adopting. So there is still a lot of bigotry left in this country.
Left by fred on November 9th, 2008