From This Day Forward

I had not planned to write today if Obama won. I did not want to gloat. But I am not gloating. I am simply elated. I am thrilled that Americans voted for a man of ideas. A man who cares about ending the war, knows the value of education, and understands that the price of a college education is growing increasingly out of reach. A man who cares about the earth and energy independence. A man who recognizes how broken our health care system is and knows that something must be done to expand health insurance and lower costs. A man who cares that jobs are being shipped overseas and plans to penalize companies that take part in that particular undoing of America. I am so pleased that he is well-spoken and that with his election, the rest of the world can look at us a bit differently. We need the world to look at us with new eyes -- to see that we can lead in the best sense of the word -- not with aggression but with ideals. I am hopeful that we will be putting this period of arrogant aggression behind us and increasing our diplomatic efforts around the globe.

Last night I went to Wal-Mart with a friend, and she brought up the subject of the election. Despite my opinions, I don't talk politics with most people -- only with my family and very close friends, and, well, here on my blog. My friend Jane (names have been changed to protect the not so innocent) said, "I bet I know which way you voted." So I asked her to guess, and she was right. I inquired about her and her husband and she said they voted for McCain and then confessed, "David can't stand Obama. He calls him a bad name. A very bad name." I looked at her, confused for a moment, and then I understood. A bad word indeed, a bigoted one, and one I will not repeat here. Then she went on to say, "I am not prejudiced, but..." Allow me to interrupt myself here. This is never a good way to start a sentence. If you have to start a sentence this way, it's probably best to keep your mouth shut. It turns out that Jane is not prejudiced but she doesn't think that blacks and whites should marry. Hmmm.

Sadly enough, since we moved to this area I have encountered racism for the very first time in my life. We did not know what a stronghold of racist thinking existed here before we chose it for our home thirteen years ago. We quickly learned of our ignorance when B went for a job interview and was closely questioned about why we had chosen to move from Chicago to this particular town. When the interviewer could see how clueless B was, he informed him that this town has had a long association with the KKK. Woops. We had no idea. Several months later I was driving through town with my two-year-old and he piped up from the backseat, "Mommy, why are those funny guys dressed up like that?" I turned my head and for the first time in my life I saw men dressed in hooded sheets, hate right there on the street. I rolled up the windows and told my son to close his eyes.

The KKK has gone underground here, but I have no doubt that there are still white supremacists in my town. I know there are racists. I meet them all the time. They are the people I hang out with at Little League. I have had several conversations with people who start their sentences as Jane did. Last night I told her that soon none of this will matter. The world is changing and young people, the kids, are not burdened with the same thoughts and beliefs that the older generations are. I told her that I grew up in a place where the races lived together and I never even heard that word as a child. I knew no difference. I told her that I hoped soon no child would.

In fifth grade I went to VBS and made a new friend. Her name was Denise and I asked my mom and dad if she could go to our pool with us one Saturday. They said yes and we arranged to pick her up and bring her with us for the day. Years later my parents told me that when they pulled up to Denise's house that day and I ran to her door to knock, they asked each other, "Do you think Denise is black?" Indeed she was, but I had never mentioned it because through their actions my parents had taught me that the color of someone's skin doesn't matter. We are all the same. I am grateful to my parents and to the community of school and church where I grew up that this is the lesson I learned. I am grateful that in the community where I now live, children of parents who still hold prejudices will grow up knowing that a black man can be president, and that he got there with the votes of blacks and whites together. I am grateful that from this day forward every child born in our country will know that race knows no bounds and a black man can be president of the United States of America. It's a beautiful day.