Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 06:32 AM CST
[General]
When the official announcement flashed across the screen, "President elect Barack Obama", I surprised myself when I burst into tears. As the weight and significance of the moment's full effect were sinking in, all of the civil rights abuses, racial discrimination and indignities I personally witnessed or been a victim of throughout my life, all came back to mind.
My earliest memory was as a girl of 5, my family; the relatives of my late Great-Uncle Gordon Parks were ushered in through the back door of The Lexington restaurant in St Paul for a party celebrating the release of his Choice of Weapons. When my mother couldn't explain to me why we couldn't come in the front door, I was quickly hushed when I tried to ask anyone else.
Flash forward to my 15 year old self. On a trip to the Boundary Waters for camp, our bus stopped at an ice cream shop in Ely, MN. As I watched everyone get their orders filled and get back on the bus, I was filled with shock, horror, and anger as I realized that I was intentionally not being served. As the last camper was leaving the shop, the last boy taking orders turned around and left the counter. When the camp counselors realized I was still missing, they came back and got the store manager to serve me. By that time I didn't want anything to do with their ice cream and left choking down the hatred and tears.
Now, in 2008, as I watch a black man be declared the 44th President of these United States of America, I realized that although I dared to hope and dream, I never really believed that this day would come in my lifetime.
Thank you God, thank you fellow Americans, and thank you my fellow walking melting pot, Barack Obama, for giving me a moment that will forever be etched in my heart, mind, and spirit.
There were no words last night as all 3 of my boys crawled into bed with me to listen to President-elect Obama speak. This was our time, their time, a time for history to be made.
There were tears for ItsJill - something that rarely happens. I am so pleased that the best person for the job was elected and that so many became involved in our country.
That a bi-racial man, with African American roots, rose to most important job in this country is breathtaking. It inspires hope for a brighter tomorrow for our people. I never thought I'd see it this soon....but I believed I would see it! I knew our young people were smarter than those still clinging to fear and prejudice. 40 years ago the Rev Martin Luther King was killed, yet today Barack Obama proves that we are a great country.
But one word of caution - we cannot step back from being involved. President-Elect Barack Obama needs the continued strength of involvement and the experience of people on both sides of the political aisle. He needs our prayers for his safety and he needs us to manage our expectations. He has an enormous job to do - a job to end the wars overseas and heal our nation; a job to bring prosperity back to all of our citizens and earn our respect around the world.
But as I sang last night in bed with my boys - YES WE CAN!
It means that America has finally moved to join the rest of the world.
Not wanting to be the pin but regardless of who actually got in with both McCain and Obama promising tax cuts, I'm still wondering where there will be increases to recoup the loss of revenue that the government would have got from that.
Oh and how long before a total withdrawal date for Iraq and Afghanistan will be announced.
I'm also a little fearful as to what Bush will do in his last couple of months
Amen. It truly is a turning point in our history. I got tears in my eyes when I heard the official word too. :)
beckyanna06:45 AM CST