Eight Years
This week, for the first time, when someone asked how long I've lived in the US I said "eight years". I arrived on January 10th, 2001. Ten days later George W. Bush was sworn into power. Now, as I close in on my eight years here the country has chosen a leader I quite like. I was never too convinced by his policies - I didn't really like what he had to say about health care and I'm worried about a premature withdrawal from Iraq, but when I saw his speech about race in March I realized that this was someone who would be willing to have important conversations about difficult topics. Obama and Biden's victory today tells me that Americans are ready to have these conversations.
I'm really excited for my American friends and family who've worked so hard to make this happen. This evening as we walked home through the Castro and the Mission there was celebration in the streets. Cars were honking, people were chanting, interesections were blocked by people coming together to celebrate.
I got up this morning at 5am to help out with the No On 8 campaign - to try to stop a constitutional ammendment that would take away the right for many Californians to marry. Pretty much everyone I spoke to who was at the Albany Seniors Center was against Proposition 8, but right now with 47% of the state's vote counted (including 98% of San Francisco's) we're losing 47.5% to 52.5%. I don't think we'll make back that 5% margin. When do we get started on a new proposition to restore everyone's right to marry?
I'm really excited for my American friends and family who've worked so hard to make this happen. This evening as we walked home through the Castro and the Mission there was celebration in the streets. Cars were honking, people were chanting, interesections were blocked by people coming together to celebrate.
I got up this morning at 5am to help out with the No On 8 campaign - to try to stop a constitutional ammendment that would take away the right for many Californians to marry. Pretty much everyone I spoke to who was at the Albany Seniors Center was against Proposition 8, but right now with 47% of the state's vote counted (including 98% of San Francisco's) we're losing 47.5% to 52.5%. I don't think we'll make back that 5% margin. When do we get started on a new proposition to restore everyone's right to marry?