Error of My Ways

I just got done watching Barack Obama address the nation for the first time as President Elect. I couldn’t help but to be touched, inspired and moved by not only his words but the simple fact of witnessing history tonight.

As I watched, I thought of all the comments I’ve read online, at various message boards and blogs, about how difficult this election season has been. I’ve heard so many people say that they just can’t bear to listen to the election talk anymore - they find it so upsetting. I’ve seen people post online about how they need to take a break from boards because they just can’t deal with their views and opinions being criticized or questioned. I thought about all this and I realized just how incredibly spoiled and self centered so many people in this country are.

These people, the very ones who cannot deal with the opposition to their views, do not realize the privilege they have been born into - the simple fact that when their children speak about what they’d like to do when they grow up they can look that child in the eye and say “You can be anything you want to be” and believe it. For them, that always been true. The great American dream - the promise of our country has always been at their fingertips… within their grasp.

For the rest of this country, when it was first known that a black man was going to run for the highest office in our land, it was met with trepidation. The fear was of letting that hope in - giving voice to it and believing it could be true. Because along with that hope comes the very real possibility that hope could be dashed. Those dreams could be shattered. For many, that would be worse than ever believing in the first place. Those brave people went out and listened to their hearts. They left themselves open and vulnerable to abject disappointment and despair and have been rightly rewarded for it.

So, the next time you want to talk about how saddened you are by hearing your views and ideas mocked and ridiculed, think about those who really have exposed themselves to the ultimate rejection. Think of what a long and difficult campaign season it has been for them. Think of what they have lain bare in support of their candidate. They dared to hope and this time, hope won.

Today, in America, children of all races can ask the question, “Can I be President of the United States when I grow up?” and their parents can look them in the eye and say unequivocably yes. Now, it will be more than a dream. It is now a reality. And I am proud to have participated.

Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 at 10:53 pm and is filed under Current Events, The Election. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.