Flaming Liberals and Eternal Hope

On Happiness

Today, my hope has been renewed.  I am proud to be an American.  Today, I believe that change will come.  Today, I believe that anything is possible.  Today, I believe that Americans care about the Constitution and their rights as citizens.  I know that it’s naïve to put such faith into a politician, but don’t rain on my parade just yet. 

Last night, as I sat in my living room alone watching CNN, I was less anxious than I had been four years ago.  I knew that even if McCain were elected, he couldn’t possibly be as awful as Bush.  I watched the Electoral votes tally up as polling sites closed across the nation and found myself hoping against hope that it would happen; that Barack Obama would win. As the clock ticked down to 10 PM, I waited for the America map to turn Blue.

I remember being in Germany when I was 16 and going out to lunch with some other kids in my group.  Somehow, the conversation turned to politics and whether or not America would ever have a president of a so-called minority.  One kid, named Axel from Chicago, turned to me and said, “There will be a gay president and a woman before there is a black president.  Sorry.”  He wasn’t particularly apologetic, but I thought that he was right.  It was a matter of fact.  It’s not as if there were any particularly strong Black candidates.  I didn’t want to agree with him but I did.  I accepted it as true.  But then, last night, to my great surprise and joy, Barack Obama proved me wrong. 

And I wept. 

I was glad that my host family had all gone to bed, because they couldn’t have known how important it was.  It’s not just that he’s a half-rican.  It’s not just that his father was Kenyan and that he in turn was the son of immigrants at a time when it is so important that our country was established as a haven for immigrants.  It’s more.  It’s the civil rights movement.  It’s been the uniting of my generation.  It’s the fact that we can do anything and that odds don’t matter anymore. 

I am astonished that Barack Obama was able to win Virginia and Ohio.  I am amazed by the campaign that started so long ago, I struggle to remember a time before hand.  I believe that America is back on the upswing.  I know that the stock market opened down this morning, but that in the long run, we can rebuild and regain some of our former standing in the rest of the world.  It’s almost enough to convince me to move back to America, but I can do more help abroad than I can at home. 

So, there you have it.  Remember Remember the fourth of November and change the world as you can.  I'm sure that some day I'll vote republican, but today, I am young, optimistic and ecstatic to be a liberal and possibly self-righteous American citizen.