Prop Hate
It amazes me that in an election so charged with change and history, hate won out in California, Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas.
I'm disgusted and sad and a little shocked - maybe it was naive of me, but I thought that we'd come farther than that.
The overwhelming tolerance of prejudice is really what's getting to me. Not for the first time, I feel like beating my fists against the ground and screaming, What is wrong with you people?! I just...I wish that mindless hate would stop. I wish it would run its course. I know that will never be the case....but if there's one thing Obama's win taught me last night, it's that hope still has a place in this screwed up world. The movement for gay rights has suffered a blow, but I know that this will just make the fight back twice as strong.
And really, it's not like the ban won by a landslide in California. Plus, my twelve-year-old sister had a long, passionate talk with me last night about how she and all her friends at her junior high all wished they could vote No on Prop 8, that they had spoken out against bigots, that so many people at school were against it. My mom, who voted McCain, voted No. I haven't asked my dad yet (he's a staunch Republican), but something tells me he might have voted No, too. That would be a miracle in and of itself.
*sigh* Finding out the Prop 8 verdict has definitely dampened my spirits but my excitement from last night hasn't left me. McCain's concession was very gracious....I haven't talked about this before, but I have a lot of respect for him. I've always seen him as very honorable. He wasn't my candidate, but I don't think he would have made a terrible president; my main concern was Palin, actually. He really was a class act last night.
Obama's speech had me in tears the whole way through. Watching the crowd probably helped with that, along with the continual "OBAMA! OBAMA!" chants outside my window. It was powerful. I have hope.
As every article I read keeps pointing out, our President-Elect has a lot on his shoulders. I hope he can live up to his promises in the most realistic way possible, and I hope that he really does bring change - the good kind. I know he's not the Second Coming. I know he's not perfect.
But he gives me hope, makes me believe. For now, at least, that's enough.
I'm disgusted and sad and a little shocked - maybe it was naive of me, but I thought that we'd come farther than that.
The overwhelming tolerance of prejudice is really what's getting to me. Not for the first time, I feel like beating my fists against the ground and screaming, What is wrong with you people?! I just...I wish that mindless hate would stop. I wish it would run its course. I know that will never be the case....but if there's one thing Obama's win taught me last night, it's that hope still has a place in this screwed up world. The movement for gay rights has suffered a blow, but I know that this will just make the fight back twice as strong.
And really, it's not like the ban won by a landslide in California. Plus, my twelve-year-old sister had a long, passionate talk with me last night about how she and all her friends at her junior high all wished they could vote No on Prop 8, that they had spoken out against bigots, that so many people at school were against it. My mom, who voted McCain, voted No. I haven't asked my dad yet (he's a staunch Republican), but something tells me he might have voted No, too. That would be a miracle in and of itself.
*sigh* Finding out the Prop 8 verdict has definitely dampened my spirits but my excitement from last night hasn't left me. McCain's concession was very gracious....I haven't talked about this before, but I have a lot of respect for him. I've always seen him as very honorable. He wasn't my candidate, but I don't think he would have made a terrible president; my main concern was Palin, actually. He really was a class act last night.
Obama's speech had me in tears the whole way through. Watching the crowd probably helped with that, along with the continual "OBAMA! OBAMA!" chants outside my window. It was powerful. I have hope.
As every article I read keeps pointing out, our President-Elect has a lot on his shoulders. I hope he can live up to his promises in the most realistic way possible, and I hope that he really does bring change - the good kind. I know he's not the Second Coming. I know he's not perfect.
But he gives me hope, makes me believe. For now, at least, that's enough.