Forgive me my earnest title but I can't help it. For some reason the full depth of what Obama being elected actually meant didn't hit me until I saw it on TV last night. Seeing prominent public figures like Jessie Jackson and Oprah Winfrey sitting amongst a crowd demographically all over the map, all overcome with emotion, finally caused it to click for me and I was continually choked up for the rest of the night.
I was witnessing history.
For the first time since 9/11 I felt solidarity with my country. But this time it was for an overwhelmingly hopeful and positive reason. We have overcome a shadow that has been cast on our country for too long. Obama's acceptance speech set the perfect tone. It was victory but a solemn one. There is work to do and he expects as much from us as we expect from him.
Today I am proud to call myself an American. We, as people of this nation, have made the right decision in electing Barack Obama as our next president for many reasons.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
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2 comments:
Thank you for this post. I loved seeing that huge crowd. I was literally on my feet clapping and echoing "YES WE CAN!" Hope won! HOPE WON! We have a fan that has joined the National Guard because Obama won. He now has a president and country that he will be proud to serve. Amazing!
What am I going to do now that cynical has left my mood status? I guess I am going to have to put my boots on the ground and roll up my sleeves to help create this new America. Equality for all!
I was thinking of Obama as an intellectual and the leader of brilliant campaign when I pushed the square next to his name; his race wasn't at all on my mind. The full impact didn't hit me either until I saw the crowd in Grant Park. I even thought Colbert was faking it as part of his faux-O'Reilly persona when he got teary-eyed after Jon Stewart announced that Obama had won.
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