yesterday's obama rally.
i may be making a large deal over this. but i dunno. i really feel like americans have lost faith in the voting process. we've been a jaded society for the past 8 years, and now, with two candidates promising less of the same and more change, it has breathed new life into this country's voters. especially the young voters--as a first-time voter, i went to rallies, joined the college democrat's club, phonebanked, watched all the debates, and informed myself of the issues that were most important to myself.
and while doing so, i could not help but think that i was helping to make history.
not because of the historical impact of the victor--mccain will be the oldest man to take office, palin will be the first woman vice president, obama will be the first black president--but because of the sheer amount of enthusiasm from both sides. i went to a rally yesterday in north phillie. i walked through areas of that city that were so decrepit, so rundown and poverty-stricken, it reminded me of brazil, my home country. i couldn't believe that some parts of the country still live like this.
and while we were walking ten blocks to get to the rally, holding our obama signs and singing, people stopped us, shouted to us, smiled at us--"OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!" They helped us find the rally, helped us find our way. they encouraged us. we didn't know them--they were poor black people living in poverty and we were college students from the college of new jersey--yet for this election, we were all in it together. we were united in a common purpose: to elect barack obama as our next president.
what will these people do come november 5th? i can only hope that obama wins, not just for my sake, but for the sake of these people who have nothing else to hope for. to see 'one of them' make it... even if you are for the opposition, you can't deny the effect obama's candidacy has on the population. it is giving people hope.
and when it comes down to it, isn't that just as important as the issues?
and while doing so, i could not help but think that i was helping to make history.
not because of the historical impact of the victor--mccain will be the oldest man to take office, palin will be the first woman vice president, obama will be the first black president--but because of the sheer amount of enthusiasm from both sides. i went to a rally yesterday in north phillie. i walked through areas of that city that were so decrepit, so rundown and poverty-stricken, it reminded me of brazil, my home country. i couldn't believe that some parts of the country still live like this.
and while we were walking ten blocks to get to the rally, holding our obama signs and singing, people stopped us, shouted to us, smiled at us--"OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!" They helped us find the rally, helped us find our way. they encouraged us. we didn't know them--they were poor black people living in poverty and we were college students from the college of new jersey--yet for this election, we were all in it together. we were united in a common purpose: to elect barack obama as our next president.
what will these people do come november 5th? i can only hope that obama wins, not just for my sake, but for the sake of these people who have nothing else to hope for. to see 'one of them' make it... even if you are for the opposition, you can't deny the effect obama's candidacy has on the population. it is giving people hope.
and when it comes down to it, isn't that just as important as the issues?