Wizards of Oz

"Life is fraughtless ... when you're thoughtless."

5.11.08

Winds of Change


The underdog, son-of-an-immigrant-father, raised-by-his-grandmother, no-silver-spoon junior senator from Illinois has won the highest office in our great nation. America is a different country this morning, a better country this morning.

Yes, I voted for Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin. Yes, I have been a member of the Republican Party for more than twenty years. And yes, I was moved by the images last night:
  • Celebratory crowds across the nation, irrespective of race, creed or caste.
  • A teary-eyed Rev. Jesse Jackson, visibly moved by the significance of this election.
  • Sen. John McCain's very elegant and classy concession speech.
  • Pro-Obama crowds cheering for Sen. McCain during that speech.
  • Numerous non-caucasian commentators recalling grade school classrooms with pictures of Presidents -- none of whom looked like them.
American may have finally proven -- not only to the world, but to itself -- that we have cleared the hurdle that is race. Barely forty years after the end of Jim Crow laws, our Head of State, Chief Executive of our federal government (and my ultimate boss), and the Commander-in-Chief of the greatest armed forces in the history of the world is a man who was subjected to those segregationist laws in his youth.

Ironically, this is also a more appropriate role for the Republican Party that I joined: a party built not on the morality of evangelicals, but on the simple premise of "Less Government, Free Markets". It was a counterintuitive role for the GOP to be the majority party, so hopefully Rep. Boehner and Sen. McConnell will embrace this opportunity to stymie the growth of government and bring our party back to its core values.

I chose the photo at the top because it is indicative of the same winds of change that we have just witnessed. Just as that Iraqi woman was given the power (just a few short years ago) to have an impact on her own nation's policies, so too has America embraced the optimism of change -- and done so in decisive fashion.

I'm proud to be an American.

7 Comments:

At 5/11/08 06:00 , Blogger Kerry said...

I'm proud of you, Kiddo, I couldn't agree with you more.

 
At 5/11/08 17:41 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

You say that our nation has cleared the hurdle that is race.
I beg to differ.
Just because an african-american got voting into office... it means nothing to me. Because there are still many out there, who ARE racist. They won't go away. Racism is an awful thing. It's downright awful. But it will take much more time for it to actually go away.

 
At 5/11/08 17:42 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

obama will ruin our country

 
At 5/11/08 18:09 , Blogger deichmans said...

Thx K! Miss you all!

Anon #1: I agree that racism is an awful thing. And like crime or hate or war, you will never eliminate it. But the fact that our nation was able to adapt so quickly -- in just my young lifetime -- from the segregationist *laws* of Jim Crow to today is nothing short of remarkable.

Anon #2: Care to offer any specifics as to how such a fate may occur?

 
At 6/11/08 06:02 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very well put Shane! We all are a part of one GREAT nation. Crossing party lines, races, religions, cultures, social, economic status and creeds, the almighty has determined the time for true change in this country has come for all people. Can we do it? We will do it. YES WE CAN!

Jay Lang
www.SmoothJazzAmerica.com

 
At 6/11/08 11:28 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very well said, Shane. The election is over, the results are known, and it's time for us to all roll up our sleeves because there's real work to be done.

 
At 10/11/08 11:16 , Blogger Donato's Mixed Bag said...

Shane,

This is a wonderful post.

I, too, am very proud to be an American. Always have been.

 

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