Nov. 4, 2008 was epic.
It was a night of cheers, tears, hugs from friends and strangers, emotion and unrestrained celebration. The dark clouds that had hung over our country for the last eight years, the clouds of fear and repression, suddenly parted and let the sun shine through.
It was the end of an era and the beginning of a new, brighter era. It was a sweeping endorsement of long-awaited change. It was a night when the torch was passed from an aging white power structure to a new generation transcending race, age and gender, with new ideas and ideals.
As a country we are tired of lines being drawn and not crossed. We are tired of the abuse of power. We are tired of lies and hypocrisy. We are tired of wars that are not ours. We are tired of bipartisanship. We are tired of being raped financially, environmentally, and emotionally. If we are going to tell the rest of the world how to behave, then we must first learn how to behave.
We want our laws and constitution to be respected. We want nothing less than our country to regain its luster and be a guiding light for the world. We want wonder and imagination, dreams and possibilities, not only to be considered, but ignited.
President Elect Barack Obama has the courage to blur the lines of color, whether black or white, red or blue. He has the desire and ability to set our country back on the right course.
Today, I am still holding on to the feeling of euphoria like a warm sweater, pulling it close to protect me against the difficult times we know are ahead. But, I am willing to face those times, knowing we present a united front rather than individual struggles. Knowing we will work together to make our country better, one step at a time. Knowing we can regain our pride, not only individually, but collectively. Knowing we can regain respect on the world stage. When I feel discouraged, I’ll pull that warm sweater of remembered joy a little closer.
Yes we can be the most powerful country in the world and still be a voice of compassion. Yes we can be the light of democracy. Yes we can lead the fight against tyranny. We are America. Yes we can.
We are all real Americans. Yes we are. And as proud Americans, we spoke in a loud, clear united voice. Yes we did, and we chose that one – Barack Obama!
Cheri Cabot, Politics Correspondent
Cheri’s column, “Personal About Politics," published every week, will reflect on how the life of a 59 year-old, middle class woman is affected by politics, policy and the current state of the nation - a look at the personal aspects of politics. The articles will be posted to Politics.gather.com as part of Gather Essentials.
You can find all of Cheri’s columns on Personal About Politics at www.personalpolitcs.gather.com, or www.ccabot.gather.com.
1
