but i cannot remain silent on this one. i am so incredibly proud of barack obama and the speech he made last night. in a country where i and many of my friends and family have lost hope, lost the belief that our government cares, lost some of our personal freedoms, it is refreshing to see a leader stand up and have the guts to say that he stands for change, and will do his best to see those changes made.
do i believe that most of what he claims will come to fruition? no. no one in politics can affect change that drastically. washington's corrupting influence is strong. government is no longer about the people and their needs, but rather about money and the greed of those who have it.
so yes. i'm cynical. i don't believe that change can happen. i have to be proven wrong.
so last night when i sit down to watch the convention, i realize what a dramatic moment we are living in. here we sit, on the 45th anniversary of what may be one of the world's most famous speeches by one of the greatest civil rights leaders who ever lived, listening to a (half)black man, who is now the official democratic candidate for president of the united states, talk about change. we are witnessing history in the making, and it is awe-inspiring.
dr. king talked about change. he talked about the american dream and how our nation could rise up from its differences, its despair, its turmoil and hatred. he said we could come together not as black and white, man and woman, adult and child, rich and poor, but as a nation of one--a united states. not since the days of the great speech-givers have i been moved during an address. not until michelle obama's speech on monday, and barack's speech last night. barack's statement that "something is stirring" in america moved me to tears. he is right. for once in this country and in my voting career my vote, my voice, has been truly heard. i voted. i caucused. i helped put him on that stage.
forty-five years. that's a long time. a long time since this nation had hope for a better time, hope for a better life for its citizens. yet this, more than anything, is what the obama camp has given me.
there's a line from the declaration of independence that reads: "but when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
i'm not supporting anarchy or taking up arms against the government--what i'm saying is that it is our responsibility to correct that which we see is wrong with our government. that is the principle that our country was founded on, and it is one we should continue to respect today. i don't like the way washington has been going these past eight years. our lives as americans have only gotten harder during bush's two terms. while that may not be directly his fault, he does have a role in it. it is now our time--our charge--to "throw off such government" and to provide "new guards" for our "future security."
i claim no official party line. i have voted republican, democrat, and everything in between. those who know me well know that i vote for the person i feel will do the best job that they can. i am saying right now, that in my mind, after last night and the 18 months preceeding it, i believe that barack obama will do a better job of providing a hospitable environment for change, a better job of funding innovations and advances that will take us into the next century, and a better job of leading this nation and joining us together as a whole than any other candidate seeking office.
obama, you have my support. for what it's worth.
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