History in the making
I am overwhelmed by the emotions I'm feeling right now. This is the first time in several years I have felt proud to be an American.
After all this nation has been through -- the search for non-existent WMDs, the scandals at Abu-Grhaib, the voter suppression of 2004, the underhanded and politically motivated outing of Valerie Plame, the economic catastrophe brought on by reckless deregulation -- it looks like there is still hope for America. Not only have we elected a man who stands for change and responsible policies, but we have elected a man who comes from humble beginnings, a man whose father came from the poorest nation in the world. What a shining example this is of the realization of the American Dream.
Of course, not to be ignored is the fact that this man is African-American. As a nation we chose our next president based solely on who we thought best for the job, and we were not influenced by the racial bigotry that has run rampant through our country's history. Truly, all men are created equal, and what a better way to prove this point than to have an African-American family living in the president's residence -- not as slaves or indentured servants, but as the First Family.
I heard a quote on NPR last week, and then saw it in the comments of a blog posted at www.talkingpointsmemo.com.
Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Barack could run.
Barack ran so our children can fly.
And now Barack has won, and our children will fly -- not just the African-American children, but all of our nation's children. Finally, we have a chance to redeem ourselves in the eyes of the world, a chance to once again become the land of opportunity, a chance to show our citizens that America really is the land of the free.
I realize there is still much bigotry to be found here, but I am comforted by the progress we've made in the last 40 years, and even in the last 20 alone. I know there will be more victories on the civil rights front of our battle to become a more perfect union, not only in regards to race, but also in the arenas of GLBT rights and religious tolerance.
I hope to see the day when we can embrace one another's diversity. I hope to see the country where a white Evangelical Christian can stand beside a black Muslim, and one not judge the other, where heterosexuals will not deny the right of marriage or adoption to homosexuals, where all men, who are indeed created equal, will be treated equally by their peers, by society, and by the law.
Here's to 4 years of change and responsibility. Here's to 4 years of hard work and sacrifice that will actually mean something. Here's to the truly united United States of America.
After all this nation has been through -- the search for non-existent WMDs, the scandals at Abu-Grhaib, the voter suppression of 2004, the underhanded and politically motivated outing of Valerie Plame, the economic catastrophe brought on by reckless deregulation -- it looks like there is still hope for America. Not only have we elected a man who stands for change and responsible policies, but we have elected a man who comes from humble beginnings, a man whose father came from the poorest nation in the world. What a shining example this is of the realization of the American Dream.
Of course, not to be ignored is the fact that this man is African-American. As a nation we chose our next president based solely on who we thought best for the job, and we were not influenced by the racial bigotry that has run rampant through our country's history. Truly, all men are created equal, and what a better way to prove this point than to have an African-American family living in the president's residence -- not as slaves or indentured servants, but as the First Family.
I heard a quote on NPR last week, and then saw it in the comments of a blog posted at www.talkingpointsmemo.com.
Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Barack could run.
Barack ran so our children can fly.
And now Barack has won, and our children will fly -- not just the African-American children, but all of our nation's children. Finally, we have a chance to redeem ourselves in the eyes of the world, a chance to once again become the land of opportunity, a chance to show our citizens that America really is the land of the free.
I realize there is still much bigotry to be found here, but I am comforted by the progress we've made in the last 40 years, and even in the last 20 alone. I know there will be more victories on the civil rights front of our battle to become a more perfect union, not only in regards to race, but also in the arenas of GLBT rights and religious tolerance.
I hope to see the day when we can embrace one another's diversity. I hope to see the country where a white Evangelical Christian can stand beside a black Muslim, and one not judge the other, where heterosexuals will not deny the right of marriage or adoption to homosexuals, where all men, who are indeed created equal, will be treated equally by their peers, by society, and by the law.
Here's to 4 years of change and responsibility. Here's to 4 years of hard work and sacrifice that will actually mean something. Here's to the truly united United States of America.