A Historic Day

What can I say? There are really no words to describe the way I feel. Today is without a doubt one of greatest moments in our country's history. As a nation we have overwhelmingly shown that we are willing to vote on the issues and over come racial bigotry, fear mongering, and failed policies.

I talked about race and the election the other day. Lets be honest here, race was the 900 pound gorilla in the room this entire election. Now don't get me wrong, the election of Obama will not end racism but it is certainly a huge step forward. It is a day that I never thought I would see in my life time. I can only imagine what those who lived through segregation must be feeling. My father has told me stories about basic training in Biloxi Mississippi in 1961. I should mention that my father has always been tolerant of all races, albeit that this was the first time in his life he had ventured away from New England and he was perhaps a bit naive about the realities of segregation. His roommate was African American and when my father asked him if he wanted to go into town to get a beer his roommate looked at him with shock. "You can't be seen with me in town" he said. Little did my father know that there was only one bar in town that would even cater to black patrons. Shortly thereafter he was taking a bus when an African American woman stood up to give him her seat. My father was surprised and told her that he didn't want her seat. It was then he realized that this woman had become frightened, not because of my fathers reaction but because she was surrounded by white people who were clearly getting angry at the situation. Dad ended up taking her seat only for fear of retribution against the woman.

But this election wasn't just about race. It was also about pointing us in a new direction. It was about learning from out mistakes and reestablishing our credibility in the world. It was about responsible government. My hope is that Obama does the right thing. I hope that he is centric and brings the country together again. I hope that he doesn't sub come to the corruption of power. I hope that he is every bit the great president he has the potential to be. With so much already riding against him on day one if he succeeds he could be one of historys greatest presidents.