What this day means to me.
As most of you probably know, I am an avid reader of Andrew Sullivan's blog. He is posting reader's comments today about their election experiences and I emailed mine. I figure it won't get posted, but I wanted to keep it for myself.
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Last night my husband and I went to dinner at a quiet nearby Chinese restaurant here in the north San Diego county coastal area. As we were finishing up and paying our bill I overheard an elderly man at the next table over comment, "The worst thing that could happen is if that nigger gets in the White House." I was absolutely dumbfounded. I realized that in spite of having grown up and gone to college in East Tennessee, I have never, ever once heard someone use the "N" word in person. It was all my husband could do to drag me out of there before I could say something to him, although deep down I know that people like that don't change. My grandparents never did.
I just cast my vote a few minutes ago and all I could think of was that old man. I wonder how he is going to feel tonight if and when Barack Obama wins and how many others there are like him. As his generation disappears, I hope beyond hope that attitudes like his die off with them. This election makes me believe that they just might. I have finally realized just how historic this moment is.
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One other thing: this made me cry. In a really good way.
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Last night my husband and I went to dinner at a quiet nearby Chinese restaurant here in the north San Diego county coastal area. As we were finishing up and paying our bill I overheard an elderly man at the next table over comment, "The worst thing that could happen is if that nigger gets in the White House." I was absolutely dumbfounded. I realized that in spite of having grown up and gone to college in East Tennessee, I have never, ever once heard someone use the "N" word in person. It was all my husband could do to drag me out of there before I could say something to him, although deep down I know that people like that don't change. My grandparents never did.
I just cast my vote a few minutes ago and all I could think of was that old man. I wonder how he is going to feel tonight if and when Barack Obama wins and how many others there are like him. As his generation disappears, I hope beyond hope that attitudes like his die off with them. This election makes me believe that they just might. I have finally realized just how historic this moment is.
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One other thing: this made me cry. In a really good way.