New Nation
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Today America chose its next leader. With him already comes a new world that’s something to behold.
This nation and others are celebrating the dawning of a United States far different than the land where I awoke this morning. Regardless of party affiliation, the change is already apparent and quickly arrived.
America’s president-elect embodies a vicissitude in the nation’s politics with his physical make-up, differing so greatly from the string of leaders to come before him. Those characteristics and his promise of a new approach to policy are causing people to buy into a world of possibility and hope – a feeling we might soon learn to call prosperity, though it’s hard to name because we’ve never experienced it before. It’s never seemed so real or authentic.
The line was long at the election precinct this morning but it moved fast. For my wife and I, the only obstacle to overcome was the chily autumn wind. We arrived 20 minutes before the polls opened to deal with issues that we heard might occur: faulty ballot machines, our names being mysteriously left off the registration list or listed at another location across town.
We live in a small community where the neighborhoods are predominantly working class. These people turned out early to change history – either by voting for the first African-American man to serve as president or the first female vice-president. Given the town’s size, we could tell by the yard signs that were prevalent in front yards and medians that the Republican ticket was the more popular option here, as it would be in the entire state of Kansas.
Yet, in half-a-day’s time, my wife and I had gone from voting in a contentious election to watching a man from modest means address a nation as its president-elect. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech was a historic moment for America and African-Americans, but it was also transcendent.
One look at my photo on this web site should tell that my ethnic background and physical appearance might be as opposite to Obama’s as is possible. In his words, though, he represented those of us who’ve made our own way and continue dreaming of achieving our true potential and leaving a better world for our children to inherit.
I hadn’t considered that the Obamas would be raising a family in the White House. Before his speech he walked on stage with his wife and his daughters, and I saw an ordinary man who wanted a place he could raise his own children. He showed humility even in victory, extending a hand to people whose vote he did not win and never accepted the icon status with which the cheering crowd so wanted to label him.
The challenges America faces are the toughest its ever faced. The climb will be steep, but those troubles are at least as real as these new sentiments of possibility and real answers. We’ll find them, together, as a nation. We needed only someone to remind us of what makes this country great, whose life itself is evidence that change is not only possible, but magnificent.
