A New America

I don't usually do this, and this is not why I started a blog, but today I need a place to vent my political frustrations. Tears of joy filled my eyes last night as I watched President-elect Barack Obama give his acceptance speech, as he became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. I watched as Senator John McCain congratulated this incredible achievement, not only for Barack Obama, but for America as a country. The achievement of moving beyond both race and political partisanship, reaching across the deeply entrenched divides that have plagued this country for decades and even centuries, to elect a black President. White people, black people, hispanic people, young and old, Republicans and Democrats voted for him because they believe that he is the best man for the job. Sure, there are some black people who voted for him because he's black. There are also a lot of white people who refused to vote for him because he's black. Just like there are Republicans who refused to consider him because he's a democrat, and democrats who refused to consider McCain because he's a republican. There will ALWAYS be shallow people who are hung up on labels or embittered by past experiences and who simply cannot be reached, on both sides of the aisle. But last night, we watched America grow up. We watched millions of people put those things aside to vote against the grain, turning traditionally red states blue. In the end, though, it isn't about red and blue states. That's the point. In electing Obama last night, we proved that those lines don't mean a damn thing. That America is ready to forget the "political" motivators and focus on promoting the good of our country, whatever it takes. This is not to say that McCain couldn't have done a world of good for this country too - He loves this country beyond measure, and beyond what most of us will ever experience or understand. The point is that regardless of which way people could have swung last night - it could just as easily have been the election of the first female VP in history that stunned us all - people were WILLING to swing. They were WILLING to take a leap of faith and do something that no one would have thought possible even five years ago. Isn't that encouraging? Even to those of you who didn't support Obama in this election, doesn't it feel like this country is moving closer to a place of healing, where we can finally move forward and work together to make life better for all of us? Isn't there a symbolism buried in last night's historic election that speaks to EVERY American? This result is not just a victory for the democrats or a victory for African Americans. It is a victory for America, that we can all be proud of. It is a symbol of our willingness as a nation to put all the pettiness aside and come together for the common good. I take that back - it's not just a symbol, it's hard evidence. As cheesy as that sounds, it's an unavoidable truth. There is so much hard work to be done and so much progress to be made. Even most Republicans admit - as did John McCain - that this country is in desperate need of change. You may not have gotten the specific change you were hoping for, but we certainly woke up in a different America this morning. Let it be an inspiration to us all, not a point of contention. Let's look forward to healing the intense partisan divide in this country - an achievement that has such potential for completely remodeling the face of American politics, America's image throughout the world, and the way we go about the business of progress in our country. I was so disheartened to hear Republicans (some crazy ones, mind you - this is not a generalization) still focusing on the issue of race even today, still claiming that Obama is out to steal America for the blacks or for the muslims, or even claiming that he's the anti-christ. Have they been listening at all? Anyone who has followed this campaign with even the smallest glimmer of an attempt at objectiveness or neutrality, should be able to readily see that Barack Obama loves this country, for the opportunities that it has given him and his family, for the good it has done in the world over its two and a half centuries of existence, and for the potential it has in the future. His vision is all about uniting America - not dividing it - because he has worked in the trenches and seen the devastation that a divided America can bring. He ran not as a black man promoting some agenda for black Americans, but as a compassionate man fighting for the needs of the poor and the working class - the people who have no one to fight for them in a government dominated by special interests and billion-dollar corporations. I think we're all fed up with the billion-dollar corporations and their trips to Hawaii while our grandparents can't retire because they just lost their 401Ks. Taxing the upper-class more heavily doesn't mean "redistribution of wealth", it means holding people responsible for the contribution that this country deserves in return for the opportunities it has provided, and asking those who have the means to help, to do so.

I'll stop before I start addressing individual topics, but the bottom line is, Barack Obama is about lifting up this entire country as a whole. As heavily Christian as the right-wing claims to be, this is something that should unite us. The Bible values service and giving to the poor - it is our duty as Christians, it's not just something we do to be nice sometimes. It's our calling. It's a value that we should hold up right next to preserving the sanctity of marriage and preserving the lives of the innocent unborn (an issue on which I admittedly disagree with the president-elect). If we don't take care of those in need, no one will. With as much wealth as this country has, poverty should not exist. We're just too greedy. We want the credit and we want our due for the hard work we've done, and we don't like sharing. We're all guilty of it, myself certainly included. We work hard and we don't want to let go of what we've earned. We need to do better, and America deserves better. I think we can unite in that.