Thursday, August 28, 2008

Being Thankful

As I listened to Jennifer Hudson sing The National Anthem at the start of the last day of the Democratic National Convention, to my surprise tears began to flow like a steady stream. (The night hadn't even begun.) From my heart came the names and faces of those who have gone on before us whose love and determination have helped to bring us all to this historical moment:

Crispus Attucks
James Amistead
Frederick Douglas
Harriet Tubman
Sojourner Truth
George Washington Carver
Booker T. Washington
Phyllis Wheatley
Dr. Charles Drew
W.E.B. Du Bois
Matthew Henson
The Tuskegee Airmen
Dr. Martin Luther King
Rosa Parks
Fannie Lou Hammer
Langston Hughes
Zora Neale Hurston
James Baldwin
Gwendolyn Brooks

As these courageous people filled my heart, I was also reminded of the many others of all races and faiths who made it possible for America to arrive at this very moment, one that we have reached together.

It is my heartfelt desire to see Barack Obama become the next president of the United States. But even if this does not happen, we have already reached a milestone and we know that we can continue onward on any path of change...together.

May God bless the great people of the United States.

3 comments:

JOHN O'LEARY said...

So whadya' think of McCain picking Sarah Palin? Makes some strategic sense - satisfying the conservative base while appealing to some of Hillary's independent supporters - but picking a young newcomer from the boondocks can be risky too (given people's concern about McCain's mortality). It definitely wasn't a safe pick (like Pawlenty), which makes me think McCain felt he was a serious underdog (when at the moment he isn't!). A bit of head scratcher.

Judith Ellis said...

Well, one thing for sure is true: McCain can no longer talk about Obaman's inexperience. Of course, I never really though this was sincere anyway considering Kennedy and Reagan. Obama's inexperience was McCain's major talking point. Pray tell, what will he talk about now?

The choice appears to be risky indeed. But the amazing thing about the choice is that women do not look at other women indisriminately. It appears that McCain choose her simply because she is a woman. This seems like a slap somehow and it may backfire. Her mentioning Clinton and Ferraro in at the rally seemed quite disingenuous. How can she debate Biden? We may get yet another a Benson/Quayle moment.

You have made a great point regarding how McCain sees the race currently. In fact, I made the exact same point to a friend earlier. McCain feels like he is losing; he feels as if the tide is not with him. The pitch perfect Democratic Convention must have sent him over the edge, pushing him to make a seemingly irrational choice. I think we are perhaps witnessing a little of his famed tempestousness, which I am glad Obama directly addressed yesterday.

Wasn't that a great speech? I saw sides of Obama that I had not seen too much, namely the fighter, one who can go after another if need be. I also think he weaved policy points into an inspiring speech without a grocery store list. I think it was a fine speech indeed.

Judith Ellis said...

The mortality issue is another big one. Perhaps this is one of the reasons McCain chose her, thinking of youth--hers, not considering his years and past ill-health. What "a bit of a head scratcher" indeed!

Pawlenty is not well known either but he would have perhaps been a safer pick. Would you want the country left to this virtually unknown 44 year old with no experience? I wouldn't. If we're talking about the inexprience of Obama, Biden most certainly rounds this ticket off. McCain seems--without doubt-- desperate.