To quote my girl, "Oh my goo'ness" I am absolutely dumbfounded. I was expecting to be this thrilled, but I was totally unprepared to be this proud to be an American. I cried a little at his acceptance speech. I was moved to be able to believe that we may be able to do this. Maybe we can make America more that a caricature of what we say we are. Maybe it won't be empty words anymore. Is it possible we have given my girl that gift? I am so overwhelmed at the possibility that my daughter may grow up in a country where we are the greatest nation on earth, not because we say we are, but because we actually are. His call that the problems we have to face are bigger than one man, bigger than one party, that we are all in this together and we need to come together and stop looking to blame and start looking to help. Fuck it, I am truly inspired! I want to hang a flag off the deck for the first time in my entire life!
It's not just because he won. It's because of how many people of how many differences voted for him. I'm thrilled he won, but I'm even more thrilled we elected him. A friend of mine is married to a lifelong republican and he voted democrat for the first time ever. It made him a little sick, but he did it. Colin Powell, all the many many republicans who came out to support Obama. It proves that we can see a right and a wrong. We can put aside our differences and see that one thing is right for all of us, regardless of the past. We have proven that our massive country can work together. It makes me believe that we can accomplish great things. We are ready to work and to try and to succeed. I am so fired up! I am so proud of my country!
Let's not even get into the black thing. It chokes me all up. I have a poster up in my classroom that says "Civil Rights" across the top, and is a collage of famous segregation photos. It makes my heart hurt to look at it. And here we are. To all those out there who stood up on camera or in public or to their families or in their hearts and said, "I will not vote for a black man," your time is done. You and your hate have had your time and it is over. 
I don't feel like I can lay claim to this victory like some people can, but that does not make me any less overjoyed, any less proud, any less exhilerated that our country pulled this off. I wasn't alive when King was leading his fight, but his story has always had a place in my heart. The injustice, the unreasoning unfairness of it has always resonated with me. And the horrifically violent end for a man who wanted only peace has always caused my throat to close up. I am so hopeful that he is able to know what has happened. To share the victory. To lay a huge cosmic "Suck it!" on those hate mongers.
So instead of the work being over, it has just started. It is no longer someone else's problem, it's our problem and the solution is up to us. The gross end of the stick when you wrest power unto yourself I guess. So be informed. Be involved. You are the change you are looking for. We did it, now let's do it!
I don't feel like I can lay claim to this victory like some people can, but that does not make me any less overjoyed, any less proud, any less exhilerated that our country pulled this off. I wasn't alive when King was leading his fight, but his story has always had a place in my heart. The injustice, the unreasoning unfairness of it has always resonated with me. And the horrifically violent end for a man who wanted only peace has always caused my throat to close up. I am so hopeful that he is able to know what has happened. To share the victory. To lay a huge cosmic "Suck it!" on those hate mongers.So instead of the work being over, it has just started. It is no longer someone else's problem, it's our problem and the solution is up to us. The gross end of the stick when you wrest power unto yourself I guess. So be informed. Be involved. You are the change you are looking for. We did it, now let's do it!
