As I have been reading all the blog posts in reaction to last night's Obama victory, one point of rejoicing for me is the sense of resolution (though not complete) that must be felt by African-American people over the age of 50 or so. Anyone who is old enough to remember a mere 41 years ago when it was still illegal in many states for white people to marry black people, last night was a symbol of a gigantic step of racial progress in our nation. Anyone who is old enough to remember a sign like the one pictured above probably never believed that a day like today would actually come. It has and for this I am thankful.
I have never felt oppression in my life like many of my African-American brothers and sisters, thus I can only imagine what an Obama presidency must mean to them. I rejoice for them and with them on this historic day.
John Armstrong writes:
While I do not always agree with Rev. Jesse Jackson on issues I was touched seeing tears stream down his face in the crowd. I thought back to all that he endured as a child and what he dreamed for as a young man standing at Martin Luther King's side. No longer can anyone, black or white, liberal or conservative, say that the greatest nation on the earth can not elect a black president. This will not end racism but it changes the game and allows us a fresh beginning that we need as a people.
3 comments:
Yes, you make a great point that for African-Americans this is a very special election with significance beyond what white America can conceive. But also as a white woman, I felt a special sense of pride in our nation for overcoming some racial obstacles that have stifled some very capable people because of the color of their skin. I found myself extremely moved and touched to see such a diverse crowd of supporters celebrating in Grant Park and all over the country. It brought me to tears to think of the historic moment of the day and how important this election is not just for black America, but for ALL AMERICA in the sense of racial reconciliation.
I know not all of the readers of this blog or the author himself was an Obama supporter because of certain policy stances, but I hope we can all agree to give him a chance to do the excellent job I believe he will do. If nothing else, today he has inspired this nation that dreams are possible and we can overcome differences to make great things happen.
May God Bless President-Elect Obama,
- Annelie Heinen
Personally, I'm happy to give him every ounce of goodwill and respect that the left gave George W. Bush.
They've set a pretty high standard, and I hope we all try hard to live up to that shining example.
I do affirm that this election has been, and especially is now, an historic step forward for African-Americans in the U.S. As pro-life and economically conservative as I am, I do rejoice that this country is, to a large extent, moving beyond racism, to the point of electing a black President.
However, I think about my own view of American politics, as a Christian man with a physical disability. People with physical disabilities have relatively "good" lives in this country, but that is really only as compared to other parts of the world, where the suffering of disabled people can be almost unimaginable. (I'm going somewhere with this point-- please follow me.)
It has only been in the last 18 years or so that most buildings and public transportation systems in the U.S. have become physically accessible to "us." In America, approximately 65% of physically disabled people are still unemployed. Think about that percentage, and then think about what it would be like if any other group in America had that high of an unemployment rate. There would likely be rioting in the streets. (I'm still going somewhere with these points!)
Now, having said all of the above, if an openly physically disabled person ran for President, and he/she were making all sorts of promises to improve the lives of other disabled people in the country, I *would not* vote for that person *unless he/she were pro-life on abortion.* It would matter very little to me if a physically disabled person were elected President of the United States (even with the aforementioned very high unemployment rates, greater rates of depression, and greater rates of drug and alcohol abuse among disabled people), *if* that disabled person did not fervently want to legally protect the lives of unborn babies.
I can rejoice with African-Americans that an African-American man has been elected President, but only to a very limited extent-- as I would *only* rejoice, to a *very limited* extent, if a "pro-choice" person with a physical disability were elected President. The simple fact is, I, as a physically disabled person, would not have voted for him/her.
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