Amen. We are all lucky to be living in this momentous time. I am again proud to be an American!
I was born and raised in California, and had little exposure to racism during my life. I was raised by a wonderful woman who was a Democrat in every way. But in 1967, my experiences changed. I joined the Women’s Army Corps and flew to Ft. McClellan, Alabama. When I was finally granted leave, and could leave the base after Basic Training, I went into town and was shocked to find (still) whites only bathrooms, and drinking fountains, and so many other forms of racial discrimination practiced.
In my relatively short life, I have been privileged to watch a remarkable change come upon this nation. We still have a long way to go. California, a “blue” or liberal state, enacted discrimination and hate, with the passage of Proposition 8. At least my county voted it down. I know how it happened. Some voters were confused. In voting “Yes” on Prop 8, they thought they were insuring gays the right to wed, when just the opposite was true. I spoke with one who did that.
Yes, change is a’comin’ as Dylan has sang, but more change is needed. I want to see tolerance, love, and hope as the norm, and bigotry, hatred, and fear as the abherration it truly is. I want to see our views expand so that we are all world citizens, not just citizens of our small little place in it. I want to see us transform ourselves into the incredible beings of which we are capable.
I am very hopeful. I do not expect Obama to work miracles, other than the one he already worked. He is inheriting a real mess in so many ways, and I am clearly not hopeful that one man can undo decades of bad decisions, especially in eight years.
Nonetheless, I am hopeful because I see that the American people, the majority of them, anyway, have finally come awake. I am hopeful because so many who haven’t bothered to vote, are now doing so. I am hopeful because our young are interested and involved again.
That gives me hope more than the man we elected. He is human, and will not be able to accomplish everything. But he has started to divert this train-wreck we call government back toward where it began — a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
I pray that the people were right in their choice for Obama. Even if he can’t do all he’s promised in his pre-election campaign, he will still fight the good fight for the small people. Good luck to our new president, he’s taking on a huge uneasy task.
The whole world is happy for us…
I heard the voice of the French foreign minister as jubilant as you could ever imagine…”all of the French people, all of Europe is in a very good mood today”..
People in Jakarta crying for joy in front of the public TV…
Yes, he, the new President-elect, has a huge job. So do we all. No one is going to fix our country for us, we will have to do it.
Don’t discriminate. I grew up in New jersey, where racism is one of many factors in life.
I still remember when our schools were integrated, and the new kids from a few blocks away were walked through our neighborhood by their parents. That one little girl… I knew them..those were the kids who were at one of the playgrounds I went to… always making the rounds, even then..
well, school was vandalized very badly by folks who didn’t like the change, and we all had to stay home for three days.
Racism is ugly, and cruel, and stupid.
Try being the only white girl in town if you don’t believe me.. I’ve done that one, too, and it’s a real eye-opener.
All forms of discrimination are pointless and stupid, and a big waste of everyone’s time.
We are meant to be free, and to love one another.
Best to each of us.. brace up, we’re gonna need it