When President-Elect Obama came out on the stage to give his victory speech, hand in hand with his family, and the crowd went wild and began clapping and hooting and hollering....I did the same right here in my little town in rural BC Canada.
I clapped and I hooted and hollered right alongside them. And I cried. ( and my dogs were wondering wtf was with me )Yup, I cried and my tears came freely and with no reservations.
And every time Mr.Obama said "Yes we can"....I said it right alongside him.
Last night, after the election results were in, I popped into a corner store. The under 20 y/o clerk said, "Did you hear that the U.S. has a black President?"
I smiled at him and said, "Did you hear that the U.S. finally has a Democrat as President?"
He kinda' half smiled, blushed, and awkwardly handed me my milk and cigarettes .
Now, I know that it is a fantastic thing that the U.S. citizens voted in a true blue Democrat ( not a Republican passing themselves off as a Democrat as in previous elections...cough *clinton* cough).
And I also know that it is a fantastic thing that the U.S. citizens voted in a man of color. That shows how far they have come.
But I just did not want this *kid* focusing on the color part of it all. It shouldn't be like that. But then that's just me, wishing that equality played on since the beginning of time.
Great things are ahead of all of us. Do you feel it?
Below is his Victory Speech. And if you can watch this without getting all misty eyed, you are one cold fish.
Yes We Can!
OMG I was bawling like a big baby!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great night.
I think these were the first foreign elections ever where absolutely everyone in Europe thought the same: Yes, You Can !!! Respect!
ReplyDeleteWe can finally say, "yes, we did." I'm hopeful for my country and I haven't been able to say that and mean it for eight long years.
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head, Colleen, with your response to the grocery store clerk. I am delighted that the United States has finally broken the racial barrier, but I have felt a little uneasy with his race seeming to be almost the sole focus of the media reaction. He is, regardless of skin colour, one very dynamic, very progressive leader and I am delighted he was elected.
ReplyDeleteOne aspect of race that did play into my also-tearful joy was to see so many marginalized people feel empowered - to see and hear people who had never voted before realized that THEIR VOTE DOES COUNT and they can effect change.
We should never forget that we can make a difference even if we are but one person. Yes We Can!