Tuesday, November 4, 2008
YES WE DID
For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. I cannot put into words the magnitude of my feelings right now. I am so proud that I played a small part in making the historic moment come to pass. And as an African American, and historian, I, like all of those who have gone before me, am proud of my fellow Americans who believed in a country that promised equality. Today is a good day, and as for the future, I hope that he will be blessed with prudence, intelligence, and wisdom. I pray that BHO is a transformational POTUS in all of the right ways.
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9 comments:
OMG, Free. When I saw Jesse Jackson crying, I was just overwhelmed. Can you believe we lived to see this?
Fiona, I am still breaking into tears just watching the footage from last night. And I actually burst into tears when it was announced that Virginia went for Obama. VIRGINIA!!!!!!!!!!!
The only sad part about this day is the status of Proposition 8 in California. I can't think of anything more cruel than putting a civil rights issue up for a popular vote.
Another sad moment was Sen Clinton's partisan instinct burdening an otherwise graceful statement...We don't need "a Democratic Congress" we need an American Congress.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/04/1640333.aspx
I am getting chills again reading his speech from last night. Will & I sat on the couch all teary-eyed. Amazing.
Free: How about IOWA??? And INDIANA? I mean, that's just amazing.
Prop 8 makes me sad, but I think the courts are going to invalidate it so I'm not freaking out.
Talk about your Rainbow Coalition! Black, White, Yellow, Brown, Red ... you name it ... all coming out with a singular purpose ...
It's not very often that we get a "signpost" moment in our lives, a singular event which we can reference forever. Sadly, most of those kinds of moments are tragic (MLK, JFK, RFK, 9-11). I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been able to play a small part (Donations, phone calls -- I cannot vote since I live in a U.S. territory) in such a moment.
But it's important that we tame that rush of euphoria, lest we fall victim to the disappointment of rushed expectations. BHO eluded to that in his acceptance speech (wisdom far beyond his years). Our nation was not broken overnight, nor will it be fixed in the first 100 days ... maybe not even after the first 1,000 days.
I wish Obama well, but I was sorry to read your opening sentence. I am proud of my country and proud to be an American EVERY DAY of my life. And my candidate didn't even win.
Anonymous:
I don't doubt that Free, as well as millions upon millions of Americans are proud of their country each and every day of their lives.
There's proud -- like when we appreciate that we don't have to stand in long lines for bread, milk, the basic necessities of life ... and PROUD, when the nation does something truly historic ... walking on the moon, ending WWII, electing the first African-American president.
One elicits an inward smile, an inward confidence. The other, a shout from the rooftop.
This is to "anonymous." I was playing at the words of Michelle Obama that sent people on the right into a frenzy (which is why it isn't in quotation marks). I think that if you asked anyone who has experienced direct assualts on his/her being (the glbt communities in CA, FL and AZ come to mind), then you would understand the disappointment that comes. In all honesty, I haven't had the luxury of being proud, blindly, of my country every single day of my 40 years here. You may not agree, but it doesn't change the reality I've experienced.
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