5.11.08

USA 5

Er is een website (Color of Change) waarop Amerikanen vandaag hun gedachten neer kunnen schrijven over Obama's verkiezingsoverwinning. Een goede vriend van me deed dat en stuurde mij een afschrift.

"I voted for Obama because his message was one of hope, and inclusiveness. I was so sick and tired of the isolationism from the rest of the world, and internal divisiveness that has dominated our nation for the past eight years. It is shameful, and I am delighted that a majority of Americans came together yesterday to vote to end it. Fear is never a good thing, and this election showed that the fear-mongering did not work. It will be healthy to have an America where differences are OK, and can be talked about in a civil manner, perhaps even celebrated. With the booing at McCain's concession speech, I think we still have a long way to go. Obama's election is a good start. The time to heal is upon us.
In a separate statement, since this organization is "Color of Change", I suppose I should say that I am white. I grew up in a predominately white town and currently reside in a predominately white town. I was in high school when MLK was shot and have vivid memories of the civil rights movement... memories culled from newspaper photos and the 6:00 TV news reports on TV. My paternal grandparents were not alive by the time I was born, but my maternal grandparents were. They grew up in poverty and my maternal grandmother came to this country as an indentured servant. Perhaps knowing this about my roots helped make race less of an issue while viewing the world around me. I do not view Obama as any particular race, yet I appreciate the celebration that black citizens must be feeling today. The predominant feature I see in Obama is his smile. What a great trait to have, and show the rest of the world. May the spark of hope he gives in that smile continue to bring this country together, and let us put our best foot forward in the rest of the world."