It has been a mere 24 hours since the historic night of November 4th, 2008. I can scarcely believe what I witnessed in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois in the waning hours of the election of our 44th President of the United States.
Finally, the United States of America has reengaged the rest of the world by putting in office a man who is needed at such a time as this... Barack Obama.
Words cannot describe the feeling of hope, elation and pride that came over me, welling up inside as I sat on the edge of my seat, watching the various live coverage announcements of Mr. Obama's securing the needed Electoral College delegates around 11:00 pm. Witnessing a sea of humanity in the park in Chicago, awaiting the news that the rest of the nation was anticipating, that we would be electing the first black President of the United States... this was a night of historic proportions.
But the final moment of the evening that captured what this has been all about is Barack Obama's celebration speech, in front of a crowd of not just the people in attendance there, but to the nation as a whole, both Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and people who are not involved in the politics of governing. He spoke of a new beginning... that his being selected as our new President as the beginning of change to work to make America work again for all people, to recapture the spirit of what makes our country great among other nations.
Tonight we showed the world that we are bigger than our petty disagreements... that a man from humble beginnings and ethnic diversity, the son of an Kenyan immigrant and Mid-Western white mother could be immersed in many cultures through his formative years and become the richer for it. He understands what the United States of America means to not just it's citizens, but to the world. To become again a symbol of the highest of ideal to mankind... a people that govern themselves through a representative democracy that represents all it's citizenry. The United States is far from perfect; it is a living and evolving organism, with illnesses and aches and pains that accompany such a curious and malleable entity. But the beauty of our nation is that the people who, with such foresight over 230 years ago, created our system of government... saw fit to endow our people with the choice to correct for deviation every election.
The ship has righted itself considerably these last days. Now is not the time to be complacent either. Mr. Obama, correctly stating last night, that he and the government are not the end all solution to what ails our great land, just a part of it. We, the people, are the final piece of the puzzle... our great democracy hinges on the People reigniting the fires of hope and freedom, like Thomas Paine, like Abraham Lincoln, like Susan B. Anthony, like Martin Luther King, Jr., giants among many before them and to come. And hopefully, one day to add to that list for posterity's sake... President Barack Obama.
Well done, sir. Now lead and we will follow.
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