Thursday, November 06, 2008

It's political.

I'm sorry. I try not to get political here. I created this blog for friends and family to keep up with us, and given our distance, they pretty much want to see the kiddos...so I try to stick to kiddo content, family life, etc. But this election was momentous, and it deserves recognition. I am so proud of my country! I am so proud of the American people who were so motivated to vote. I am so impressed with the movement that was the Obama campaign. Whether or not you share his vision or believe in his words, the way he drew in America and made people believe in something that goes beyond mere politics was incredible. Today I found this video, and I have to share. It's a beautiful sentiment and a good reminder to the international community that America is not all guns and God, all red and blue, all egotism and force. We are a nation of proud and hopeful people who can and do reinvent ourselves. This Tuesday, we began again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our election here was incredible! Mind you, I had plenty of rationale not to take the time to vote because DC is 98% democrat and it only has 3 electoral votes - my vote wasn't going to change either of those factors. Eric reminded me it was that same attitude of 'my vote won't change anything' that most people used as an excuse not to vote. He also reminded me my vote would boost our overall voter percentage and our demographic voter percentage which both are usually dismally low. Even though he and I don't always see eye to eye politically he is my hero! I walked to my polling station during lunch, passing a few others with long lines, and I felt an energy in the air that I haven't felt with previous elections. No one was angry they were in a long line, people were taking pictures of the lines and anyone who stepped out of line was harassed to get back into line! I finished voting and walked past German tourists who were so excited they were asking officials if they could just watch our process. That night we went out to a local pub for a vote party/birthday party for a friend of ours. A majority of the bar was for one party (like the city) but the few folks who were for the other party were occasionally teased but no angry or mean words were said. The entire bar was screaming and shouting when CNN's projected winner was announced- it was incredible! Many of the folks we were with took the following day off and planned to continue celebrating but after the wedding Eric and I didn't have any time off so we headed home. I haven't experienced something like that walk since I was in France when they hosted and won the World Cup ten years ago! Cars were driving through the streets honking, people were cheering and shouting Barrack's name, random people were walking by us cheering and giving us smiles and thumbs up. It was such an amazing feeling to be here for this monumental day! I had tears in my eyes and I was feeling so excited! Most of all I was proud to be wearing the little sticker that said "I voted!"

I watched the video and was choked up. It's amazing when you realize how this election affects so much of the world - Joss Stone and Dave Stewart are Brits!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing this clip!

I am sorry, but if you are not political then you are not paying attention. Period. I think it is imperative that everyone pay attention - even those of us who occupy these
"non-political" spaces such as family and food blogs.
This is not just the social studies teacher in me coming out. This is a call to arms - not bombs, but words, not weapons, but actions - we can affect real change, positive change - we proved that this past Tuesday. Honestly, I have never been so proud to be an American as I have been these past few days.

Anonymous said...

I too have felt the energy, the emotion, the excitement, the BELIEF that change can and WILL come, now that we have elected Obama! On election day I saw a poster which was very fortuitous...

We will
We will
Ba-ROCK YOU!

And we will and we are, and I am proud to be an American!!!


God Bless the USA.


Mimi