HISTORY

I have been glued to the presidential campaign for weeks and then was glued to the election results. It doesn't make any difference who I voted for. I was strongly moved, start to finish, by the excitement and emotion of Obama's win. When McCain gave his consession speach I was moved by his eloquence and sincerity and the effort he was making toward reunification. Obama's acceptance speech was wonderful and fitting for such an historical event. This election is, by far, the most important election of my lifetime.

When Obama talked about the 106 year old woman who voted I cried. Just imagine, she is a witness of 103 years of United States history. She saw New Mexico and Arizona admitted, live the horror of WWI and WWII, experienced prohibition, and the ratification of the 19th amendment allowing women to vote. She heard about Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic non-stop, the market crash of 1929 occurred, and Native Americans were granted citizenship while retaining their status in the tribe. She was told Japan attacked Pearl Harbor then the US A-bombed Japan. She heard about Blacks boycotting buses in Alabama and the Supreme Court ordered school desegregation. We were involved in a war with Korea. Alaska and Hawaii were admitted, the civil rights movement began, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. There were angry demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the Hippie movement came and went. Man landed on the moon. Watergate happened and Nixon resigned as President. There was the Moral Majority, Star Wars, personal computers, CDs, VCRs, and cable TV was common. And, of course there was the Web and animals were cloned. Amazing!

For the first time in a long long time there seems to be hope for our nation and a willingness to embrace diversity. It feels like a democracy. It feels like a United country. I am no longer afraid to take my US Flag cane with me when I travel outside the US. And I no longer say I'm embarassed to say I'm an American.... there is hope.