A day worth celebrating

Today is a day worth celebrating, for many reasons. Of course the election of Obama and what it means as a mandate for change and a blow (but not the destruction of) overt racism is a reason to celebrate. The thing that I find worth celebrating the most is that I think we finally got two candidates, based on what was said last night, who realize what we are up against, what we have to do as a nation to move forward, and that both have a true commitment and love for this country. While their means to achieving what needs to be done would vary, I firmly believe that they both have their hearts in the right place. For that reason, I do not think there would have been a truly "wrong" choice, even though I am more in alignment with Obama's view on how to move forward. That we are able to, at such a critical time, come up with two candidates who I feel put a united and whole America first in their hearts is in itself a beacon of hope.

That said, it is up to us and the rest of Washington do do our part. One man alone can inspire change, but cannot MAKE it happen by himself. We must take up the banner, and the shovel, and get to work, clearing up the mess in Washington, in society, in our communities, and in our homes. The time to act is today, because that's all we have the power to truly change. The future starts now and today is the day we begin to make it. If we make the right decisions for the right reasons, we won't have to worry about the future- it will take care of itself. We all know what is right in our heart of hearts, now we all need to JUST DO IT. I believe what has been true all along- YES, WE CAN.

One more comment about yesterday's election- racism is far from dead. It has just gone underground. When asked "publicly" in polls, more than 50% of people in the former slave states were for Obama, yet in the privacy and anonymity of the voting booth, an average of 55-60% of voters voted for McCain. A coincidence? I think not. It is just another of the affects of political correctness; racists will not fess up to being racist in public for fear of ridicule, but in private (voting booth, chat rooms, blogs, radio talk shows) where they will not face any direct consequences for airing their views, all kinds of ugliness comes out. They know they are wrong and that saying it out loud is wrong, but they believe it anyway. I live in the South, I have both seen and heard it. Anyone who thinks that yesterday was some sort of death knoll to racism is sorely mistaken. If America was not more frustrated with Bush and the Republican party than they are resistant to voting for a black man, the race would have ended entirely differently. The Republicans should be the one sitting up and taking notice- white America would rather elect a black man than put up with 4 more years of the same. Yes, this election WAS a mandate for change, but not in the way that it should have been.

In saying this, I am not trying to take anything away from Obama. I voted for him. His message of hope and optimism inspires me and I think he will do his best to do a good job. If I was guilty of -ism in voting for him instead of McCain, it was ageism. I don't think a man whose views on life were formed over 50 years ago truly has the ability to understand the world as it exists today the way it needs to be understood. The world he grew up in simply does not exist. White, black, yellow... makes no difference to me. Who can do the job in a manner that I think befits the integrity this nation should have? Who has the best solutions that will best impact this nation's future? Who has the best ability to be the leader this NATION needs? Those are the questions whose answers matter to me. I would like to see a woman in the job- and not Sarah Palin- a real woman who is not afraid to be a woman in every sense of the world instead of having to prove how tough she is. But that's just me...

I will hold out hope for that day, but in the meantime, I am happy with the choice America has made and am rolling up my sleeves as we speak...