I was going through my economie notes the other day, and I came across a set that had this written at the top: "Nov. 4: a day that will live in________". Being the history buff that I am, this was obviously a reference to FDR's "Day in Infamy" speech, given after the bombings at Pearl Harbor. If I remember correctly, I wrote that when it looked like it would be a close race, and I was genuinely concerned about the outcome of the election. That was all during the pre-election excitement. And now that the most exciting and historical election of the past several elections is over, it feels a little bit like the day after Christmas.Election Day 2008: Because of the time difference (9 hours ahead of California, 6 ahead of New York), none of the results started coming in until 1 or 2 in the morning, so despite my best efforts, I was asleep.
November 5, 2008: I got up early to watch the results come in (around 5:30 am). When I turned the TV on downstairs, I saw Obama standing in front of a row of American flags just about to start his acceptance speech. I almost screamed. I spent the next 45 minutes or so watching his speech and by the time my host mom came downstairs, I was curled in a blanket on the couch, crying while the whole family waved to the crowd (I wasn't the only one, Jesse Jackson cried too). Funnily enough, it didn't really sink in until a few days later that we had just elected a new president. I think its because the last two elections (the ones when I was actually old enough to understand what was going on) were a) an ordeal- the Florida recount took forever, and didn't really allow for the immediate celebrations of a normal election; and b) we voted in the incumbent. So this election was really the first that I remember that went as it was supposed to. That whole day, everyone was congratulating me and I got several emails from other AFS students around the country saying how happy they were etc. Its funny, the entire world seems to be celebrating Obama's election.
Unfortunately, the California ballot propositions took a while longer to be counted, so I was constantly checking online to see if all the precincts had reported. Needless to say, I'm very happy that Prop 4 failed, and very upset that Prop 8 passed. Nevertheless, I'm proud of what our country has accomplished this election, and I know that California's gay rights activists will not rest until gay marriage becomes legal, so I am hopeful too for the future.
And then there were the speeches. Wow. As usual, Obama gave me shivers with his Acceptance Speech. I thought he blended the right amount of celebration and hope with a call for responsibility on the part of the American public and a reminder of the challenges we face and the changes that will need to be made, not only by the government and those in power, but also by each person. And of course there was the typical Obama amazingness with his strong oratorial skills and almost call-and-response with the audience: "Yes We Can!".
Even more meaningful, I thought, was John McCain's speech. I don't think he could have endorsed Obama any more graciously. Despite all the nastiness during his campaign, I felt like his speech was the true call for bi-partisianship, and a reminder of what it means to be an American citizen. So while Sarah Palin has left me with a little bit of fear for the direction the Republican Party might be going, Senator McCain impressed me with his humility and dedication to the well-being of the country, even when he was not the victor. There is hope after all...
the front page of De Morgen on November 6
No comments:
Post a Comment