Happy Birthday Ted!
You lost! Now go rot in jail.
On February 28, 2005, I met Barack Obama.
Just an hour before that, I was walking down Wabash Ave (in Chicago) to school when I bumped into my friend John, who informed me out of the blue that our new US Senator was coming to talk in our downtown campus. What!?! Obama!?! No way! What!?!?! I just have to go upstairs!?!?! Screw ISOM class. Let's go dude.
After this event, I walked over to the corner where he was meeting a few people and said to him--almost four years early--what I am sure the majority of this country, and probably countless generations in the future, would want to say to him today if they were lucky enough to meet him.
"Sir, it's an honor to meet you."
I still remember his look of momentary confusion, almost as if to say "Umm...and it's an honor to meet me why? Take it easy, fanboy." Then he recovered, semi-chuckled and nodded as he shook my hand and just said "Okay." Yeah, he had been on the national stage a few months ago for the first time. But he was just a US Senator. I immediately felt a little sheepish as he turned to the other 20 or so people that had decided to stick around to talk with and meet our then-new senator, and with some engaged in much more deeper conversation. I felt like an idiot and bolted away.
I watched with some consternation as over the next few years he declared his interest in bombing Pakistan and Iran, approved the FISA wiretapping bill, and re-upped the Patriot Act, one of the biggest scourges on individual liberties using "national security" as a shield. Then he ran for president. I distanced myself from him even further as he tried to become a centrist, abandoning a number of the progressive ideals he had always fought for. Eventually it came down to him, Hillary and Edwards, and when he beat Hillary in the primaries I had no idea what was coming next. He ran one of the most amazing campaigns in modern history, keeping everything completely disciplined, staying focused with his message, and revitalizing people's interest in voting and politics, at a time when people were more disillusioned than ever with government. I respected all this, but I just wasn't sure as my original doubts about him didn't disappear. I considered Obama when I voted early. Did I choose him?
I went to Grant Park on Tuesday. My sole reason for doing so was because of the historical nature of this moment. Not really because of Obama. I felt pretty good about his chances and having lived and breathed Chicago air for nearly twenty years I wanted to be able to tell my future kids that I witnessed US history. You have to be a total prick, in my opinion, not to appreciate how much this moment meant to not just African Americans, or even people of color, but to all Americans. It is coming on the heels of our shared history.
This nation was built on the blood, sweat and tears of a people oppressed for centuries, and their freedom in 1865 was quickly shattered a few years later by the failure of the Republican Party in delivering true Reconstruction. The civil rights movement of the '60s was amazing in finally delivering what was supposed to be granted a hundred years before--freedom to all Americans.
But I really do believe that last night will go down in history just as important to our nation's identity as July 4, 1776; April 18, 1865; and August 28, 1963. Why?
Because over 50% of people didn't vote for Obama because he was black--they voted for him because of where he stood on the issues. I firmly believe that.
Why is this so important and why is this true? The best reason I can give is based on what happened near where I was standing in Grant Park, when John McCain delivered his concession speech. As he said "I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight" people began clapping when suddenly, I heard four loud voices interrupt loudly and respond to this--LOUDLY. I looked around and saw in four different areas, several African-American men and women yelling out something that choked me up in all of its exquisite beauty:
"No! Not for African-Americans! For ALL AMERICANS."
For all Americans.
And with that, you see the significance of November 4, 2008. With that--finally--there is your definitive, tangible, hard and fast proof that racism and people's thinking in terms of race, is dead for a majority of people in this country. (Yes - I know not everyone voted! But if those who were eligible to vote did not do so then they are basically saying "we have no problem with a black man running this country.")
Sure, there are still racists in this country. We were painfully reminded of that during the last month of the campaign. With the passage of proposition 8, there is proof that hatred is still out there. But we can now say with 100% confidence that these people and this ideology are in the minority. No one knows when this shift in thought actually occurred, but last night was the cold, hard undeniable evidence. What if Obama had run a lesser campaign, or was a less qualified candidate, and had lost? Everything I said might still be true, but the key is--we wouldn't be able to tell if we had crossed that hurdle. Today, we know that we have.
Despite all this--in the end, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for Cynthia McKinney. Obama's pandering to the right-wing Zionist element in this country, his refusal to stand against ICE raids during the campaign, his inability to do what Colin Powell did in standing up for American Muslims against this racist minority, his support of the corporate bailout, and his desire to continue new wars (despite the media pegging him as an anti-war candidate) were too much for me. Four years ago, I would have voted for him with my eyes closed. But in 2008 I have become passionate about all these issues and Obama did not stand up for these causes, or even worse, he once did and completely sold out his beliefs during the course of his campaign.
At the same time, all of these flaws of Obama combined do not even come close to the horrific crimes against humanity committed by the man who will surely go down as the worst president in American history - I don't even want to say his name. You know who he is. Because of that, I actually have hope for Obama. At least, he understands where these progressive causes are coming from. In the end, he may not support all of them, hell -- he may not support any of them. He may not be able to anymore as he might have to now do a bit of classic Washington selling out (more than he already has). But I know that he understands, because of his history, his background, and his otherwise flawless personal makeup (typical politician hypocrisy excluded). And if nothing else, it's a starting point.
Right now, the only thing that matters to me is that forty-five years ago, a preacher from Atlanta stated "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." And on Tuesday, the dream was realized. "When this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
America, we are free at last--from the ugly shadow of race itself.
After this event, I walked over to the corner where he was meeting a few people and said to him--almost four years early--what I am sure the majority of this country, and probably countless generations in the future, would want to say to him today if they were lucky enough to meet him.
"Sir, it's an honor to meet you."
I still remember his look of momentary confusion, almost as if to say "Umm...and it's an honor to meet me why? Take it easy, fanboy." Then he recovered, semi-chuckled and nodded as he shook my hand and just said "Okay." Yeah, he had been on the national stage a few months ago for the first time. But he was just a US Senator. I immediately felt a little sheepish as he turned to the other 20 or so people that had decided to stick around to talk with and meet our then-new senator, and with some engaged in much more deeper conversation. I felt like an idiot and bolted away.
I watched with some consternation as over the next few years he declared his interest in bombing Pakistan and Iran, approved the FISA wiretapping bill, and re-upped the Patriot Act, one of the biggest scourges on individual liberties using "national security" as a shield. Then he ran for president. I distanced myself from him even further as he tried to become a centrist, abandoning a number of the progressive ideals he had always fought for. Eventually it came down to him, Hillary and Edwards, and when he beat Hillary in the primaries I had no idea what was coming next. He ran one of the most amazing campaigns in modern history, keeping everything completely disciplined, staying focused with his message, and revitalizing people's interest in voting and politics, at a time when people were more disillusioned than ever with government. I respected all this, but I just wasn't sure as my original doubts about him didn't disappear. I considered Obama when I voted early. Did I choose him?
I went to Grant Park on Tuesday. My sole reason for doing so was because of the historical nature of this moment. Not really because of Obama. I felt pretty good about his chances and having lived and breathed Chicago air for nearly twenty years I wanted to be able to tell my future kids that I witnessed US history. You have to be a total prick, in my opinion, not to appreciate how much this moment meant to not just African Americans, or even people of color, but to all Americans. It is coming on the heels of our shared history.
This nation was built on the blood, sweat and tears of a people oppressed for centuries, and their freedom in 1865 was quickly shattered a few years later by the failure of the Republican Party in delivering true Reconstruction. The civil rights movement of the '60s was amazing in finally delivering what was supposed to be granted a hundred years before--freedom to all Americans.
But I really do believe that last night will go down in history just as important to our nation's identity as July 4, 1776; April 18, 1865; and August 28, 1963. Why?
Because over 50% of people didn't vote for Obama because he was black--they voted for him because of where he stood on the issues. I firmly believe that.
Why is this so important and why is this true? The best reason I can give is based on what happened near where I was standing in Grant Park, when John McCain delivered his concession speech. As he said "I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight" people began clapping when suddenly, I heard four loud voices interrupt loudly and respond to this--LOUDLY. I looked around and saw in four different areas, several African-American men and women yelling out something that choked me up in all of its exquisite beauty:
"No! Not for African-Americans! For ALL AMERICANS."
For all Americans.
And with that, you see the significance of November 4, 2008. With that--finally--there is your definitive, tangible, hard and fast proof that racism and people's thinking in terms of race, is dead for a majority of people in this country. (Yes - I know not everyone voted! But if those who were eligible to vote did not do so then they are basically saying "we have no problem with a black man running this country.")
Sure, there are still racists in this country. We were painfully reminded of that during the last month of the campaign. With the passage of proposition 8, there is proof that hatred is still out there. But we can now say with 100% confidence that these people and this ideology are in the minority. No one knows when this shift in thought actually occurred, but last night was the cold, hard undeniable evidence. What if Obama had run a lesser campaign, or was a less qualified candidate, and had lost? Everything I said might still be true, but the key is--we wouldn't be able to tell if we had crossed that hurdle. Today, we know that we have.
Despite all this--in the end, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for Cynthia McKinney. Obama's pandering to the right-wing Zionist element in this country, his refusal to stand against ICE raids during the campaign, his inability to do what Colin Powell did in standing up for American Muslims against this racist minority, his support of the corporate bailout, and his desire to continue new wars (despite the media pegging him as an anti-war candidate) were too much for me. Four years ago, I would have voted for him with my eyes closed. But in 2008 I have become passionate about all these issues and Obama did not stand up for these causes, or even worse, he once did and completely sold out his beliefs during the course of his campaign.
At the same time, all of these flaws of Obama combined do not even come close to the horrific crimes against humanity committed by the man who will surely go down as the worst president in American history - I don't even want to say his name. You know who he is. Because of that, I actually have hope for Obama. At least, he understands where these progressive causes are coming from. In the end, he may not support all of them, hell -- he may not support any of them. He may not be able to anymore as he might have to now do a bit of classic Washington selling out (more than he already has). But I know that he understands, because of his history, his background, and his otherwise flawless personal makeup (typical politician hypocrisy excluded). And if nothing else, it's a starting point.
Right now, the only thing that matters to me is that forty-five years ago, a preacher from Atlanta stated "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." And on Tuesday, the dream was realized. "When this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
America, we are free at last--from the ugly shadow of race itself.
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