Between the rain we've had all week and the time change, it has been getting dark by about 4:30 here. So I've been looking for a little bright spot.
And I've found it in a big way.
No, I don't just mean Barack Obama being elected. Though, I must say that I had waited a long time to vote for him: probably since I first read about him in the Spring of 2004. So, despite all that is hard about this new world we have found ourselves in during recent months, I would like to now give here my reasons for hope:
* A dignified and gracious concession speech from a man who is a great American patriot and will continue to serve as a voice of balance and careful compromise in the US Senate.
* The non-realization of the so-called Bradley Effect, indicating that there are probably fewer "closet racists" in the country than most of us assume.
* Nem's post from yesterday has made me feel liberated about believing strongly that I can be a faithful Latter-day Saint and still subscribe to much of the philosophy found in the Democratic party.
* A dignified and gracious acceptance speech from a man who made little effort to boost his own merits but instead pledged to work on behalf of every American, regardless of how they voted.
* An election decided, decisively, within a few hours instead of days or months so that our new president will take office without a cloud over his head and with a mandate to govern.
*Nearly 120 million Americans showed up to be counted yesterday. Votes DO matter.
* A president-elect who is practically in my generation who is smart, calm and forward-thinking.
* A renewed determination to do my best to be a responsible citizen and to raise my children to be the same.
* Church leaders who remain optimistic about the opportunities to be found in the very trials that are knocking at the door.
It is the opportunity of our generation to remake our country. The more I meet and interact with the bright, committed men and women who are young parents now, the more I believe that we can make the world a better place.
9 comments:
I'll have to read Nem's post. I always like to read others' political opinions. But I still think I'm a moderate Republican. Although I could not bring myself to vote for McCain/Palin. I ended up writing in Mitt Romney. I know, it was a bit of a cop-out. But I left the polling booth light. I voted my conscience. That feels good. Glad to hear that you did too!
This morning as I read of Obama's win, I wasn't even really disappointed. I think he'll do a good job. And I'm sure glad that the campaign is over. Whew!
Thanks for your comments, I feel the same way. It is sad to hear my republican family and friends in such a state of fear just because a democrat is taking office. What is really sad is the state of fear and divisiveness that has been propagated in today’s society by our current President and other politicians. We can have hope, even hope in a great man that happens to be a democrat.
--John
I too loved Nem's post. We talked about some of those very things when I saw her this past Saturday.
That article (thanks for posting the link!) made me smile. Loved your post here--so much to be thankful for and hopeful about!
Well said.
I am so hopeful that Obama will do a bang-up job as president and show all those people who are mourning the loss of McCain that things are okay, even when a Democrat wins.
I am just so excited to have a president that I really believe in... politics produces few people who truelly inspire me.
It's unfortunate that so many staunch Christians shun the Democratic Party just because many of its members support abortion. Valuing life is important, but caring for the poor is a Christ-like virtue, too.
And as Nem's post points out, if Democrats think they have no chance of winning Christian votes, they have will have no motive to address the issues that matter to us.
While I ultimately voted for McCain, I found things to respect in both candidates, and I'm excited to see what President Obama will accomplish.
I'm still in the Pouty Corner even though I have to concede that I didn't care for McCain.
I will never believe that "spreading the wealth" is an acceptable ideology for America. Neither could I place faith and hope in a man who was the lone NO vote on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Even pro-choice Senators voted in favor of it. I can't really fathom why, even in the face of testimony that babies who survived partial birth abortion were being left to die in trash cans and hospital linen rooms, that Senator BO would vote NO to having a physician care for the baby. He further said that to summon forth a physician would be "cumbersome" and contradict the mother's original decision. And then said he refused to call these living babies, babies and termed them pre-viable fetuses instead so they couldn't be afforded protection under the Constitution as a citizen. In my perspective, that is evil.
I know that you'll never be convinced otherwise and this comment is a moot point, but in the interest of sharing opinions, there it is.
And yes, I have voted fror Democrats on many occasions because the Republican candidate was scummy. As a matter of fact, voting for McCain was a vote for a Democrat because he often aligns himself with the Democratic Party.
And for the record, I flirted with the idea of voting either Libertarian or Constitutionalist party this time because I knew McCain had Texas won and my vote wouldn't matter much anyway. I also did NOT vote for McCain in the Primary. Again, it didn't matter because it was all decided before the Texas Primary anyway.
I didn't vote for Bush in the Primary either.
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