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November 5, 2008
A nation in tears
A guest comment by Sherice N. Clarke
My friends (not to sound like John McCain), like many people today, I must say that I never thought I'd see the day. I wish my grandmother was here to witness this historic leap, having lived through the Jim Crow South, her grandfather born a slave and son of the slave master and witnessing injustice and inequality that made her a firm skeptic with respect to "America" till her dying day. This election is healing a nation. Everyone's in tears, and I mean everyone. Journalists moved to tears on live television, Obama supporters (which was to be expected), politicians, civil rights activists all moved to tears. I sat in wonderment of this most moving moment and I realized that these were not just tears of joy for a Democrat winning the White House back and the prospect of the end of W, but instead solidarity. We were all skeptics, supporting Obama, putting up our lawn signs, canvassing, etc. and even when he was in the lead in the polls we remained skeptical because of that pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, the legacy of slavery... racism. But with each ballot cast people stood individually not only against the Bush regime but to take an individual step combat this legacy. I think most people were in tears because when the results came in they were astounded by the fact that they stood collectively. Absolutely unbelievable, I am deeply moved. I can't stop crying myself. I thought it would be apt to revisit Martin Luther King's dream from just 45 years ago to help me comprehend how far we've come as a nation (and because I'm a glutton for tears!):
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And 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!
Posted by sherice at 4:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2008
Barack Obama for President
The American election battle is finally over. Today's results will be a first in American history, but what is more important: Barack Obama's campaign has had an impact on American people that will be felt for years to come: they are politicized. Asking someone how they will vote has suddenly become socially acceptable. Obama's grass-roots movements has allowed the people to get actively involved. "If you fight for me", was the end and high-point of Obama's last set of campaign speeches, and he meant it: More than 1.5 million volunteers across the country have joined Obama's quest for power. Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber, the Republican counter-measures to this movement, are weak and only symbolic attempts to say: we're like the common voter, not bureaucrats. In the end, they brought ridicule upon politicians and common people alike. Sarah Palin has a poor grasp of the Vice-President's job and apparently thinks Montreal is in France. Joe the Plumber believes Obama's views are un-democratic, can't tell gross revenue from profit and doesn't even have a plumbing license.
Such exchanges determine what politics is in this country. A set of charades. Rhetorical back-and-forth. Tactics. American voters neither need nor want to understand the real issues. It's all a question of values and unreasonable gut-feelings. What counts is whether to trust the captain.
As a mid-western friend of mine put it last year: the only choice we have is to vote for one monkey or another (this is in no way a racist joke.) So, are they just doing a show? They probably are, but I firmly believe that Barack Obama's show is genuine, honest and the epitome of community-building. Obama's work as a lawyer, respected law professor and author make him stand out as an intellectual against the list of recent US Presidents. And that's before I've not so much as touched the big issues: peace, economy, science, justice. This morning, my Facebook status reads: "David endorses Barack Obama."
Posted by dr at 1:17 PM | Comments (1)