A New Start
By glorious chance I happen to be in New York at the moment, and watched the results coming in with friends who live uptown. I got a cab back but ran into celebrating crowds when we reached 47th St, so paid it off and walked the rest of the way to the hotel (on 29th). An amazing atmosphere, and I'm so glad I was here (and bought the T-shirt).
And I realised I'd been concentrating more on the party politics of it, but for the black people of America this is a moment of triumph. By the time the final result was called, everyone else had left the party except me and a black friend of my friends; and she was in floods of joyful tears. People who in living memory had difficulty even in voting have now elected one of their own. My son will grow up thinking it is not remarkable that America could have a black president; my friends' baby boy, due in January, will not remember a time when there wasn't one until he turns eight (God and the voters willing). That is what makes it such a special moment.
(And the Obama daughters will get a puppy.)
And I realised I'd been concentrating more on the party politics of it, but for the black people of America this is a moment of triumph. By the time the final result was called, everyone else had left the party except me and a black friend of my friends; and she was in floods of joyful tears. People who in living memory had difficulty even in voting have now elected one of their own. My son will grow up thinking it is not remarkable that America could have a black president; my friends' baby boy, due in January, will not remember a time when there wasn't one until he turns eight (God and the voters willing). That is what makes it such a special moment.
(And the Obama daughters will get a puppy.)