Well, not literally--since I don't believe in one. But thank 64 million people for electing Barack Obama.
Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I uttered the words "I am proud to be an American."
I was always happy to have been born in this country, and always mindful of how much luckier we all are to live here as opposed to many other places on earth, but proud? Nope--I can't say I ever was. Until Tuesday night, that is.
I don't think we'll understand just how huge this event was for years to come, but even now, it feels like our country has just taken a quantum leap forward in one of the most embarrassing and despicable areas of its existence. How about us--actually electing a black president. I wouldn't have believed it possible for at least 20 more years. But somehow, the good in us managed to overcome all the stupid, narrow-minded, ignorant race-mongers, and black, white, Latino, Asian and everything in between actually came together to make this happen.
And what a nice moment it is.
After 8 painful years of having an inarticulate, secretive, mean-spirited little moron lead our country into the crapper, the idea of having someone smart, cool, charismatic and decent at the helm seems too good to be true. I've instantly gone from racing to hit the mute button when the president speaks, to looking forward to hearing him every chance I get.
For our country, I don't think we could have made a better choice. We are so multicultural, and now we have a multicultural face--someone who will hopefully prevent today's inner city kids from thinking they are being oppressed by The Man.
For our standing with the rest of the world, even better. Bush has been so successful in making everyone hate us (and not without good reason), and now, instantly, so much of that is being undone. Just hours after Obama was declared the winner, I was watching a random YouTube video, and saw the following in the comments section: "Hey USA, congratulations from France for this new president. The WHOLE WORLD feels enormous relief!" He isn't even president yet, and the healing has begun.
What made this possible? Who knows? Certainly the emergence of young voters, who are just not that interested in race. Certainly Bush's legacy--I can't help but think that maybe his presidency, hideous as it was, might have actually been a GOOD thing, since it paved the way for this day. Maybe the TV show 24--which matter-of-factly introduced us to a black commander in chief back in season two...without ever really focusing on his race. Maybe Tiger Woods--another multicultural phenomenon whose appeal crosses all racial lines. Or maybe it was just the public finally rejecting the nasty, repellant fear tactics of the Republican party. "Palling around with terrorists?" "The real America?" "Who is Barack Hussein Obama?" People didn't buy it, you awful Republican strategists. Next time, maybe you'll try running a decent campaign.
Whatever it was, it has made me happier, more hopeful, and yes--prouder--than I've ever been about something that is so non-personal.
Which brings me back to my headline. When O.J. Simpson--who couldn't have been guiltier if there had been 3 different videocameras taping him murder those poor people--was found not guilty, and there were scenes of black people cheering all across America, I was sickened. It was the worst non-personal event of my life. I was upset for weeks.
Now I'm getting to live the other side of a racial issue: one that suggests that good may have a fighting chance against evil, after all.
In 25 years, I think today's kids may look back at this and say, "A black president? Yeah--so what was the big deal?"
Then we'll finally have arrived.
