A little bit prouder

For the last few days, I have been trying to write something significant and meaningful about the history America made last Tuesday. This is as good as I can come do. Life is moving on, and a new reality is setting in. It's a good thing.

In the summer of 2004, we were visiting my in-laws near Ladysmith, WI. We had visited one of my wife's sisters that night, and were driving back to my father-in-law's place, a distance of about 25 miles. We had the radio on--the Democratic National Convention was taking place, and their keynote speaker was talking. Earlier, I heard the radio hosts talking about him--that he's an amazing speaker. He had an odd name that I just couldn't remember, but I did remember he was from Illinois.

And I remembered the speech. It was a hell of a good speech. I heard about 35 minutes of it before we arrived at my FIL's place. I didn't turn on his TV to see the end of it; Democratic party conventions weren't big hits at his house, and when vacationing among the in-laws, I automatically keep my political leanings to myself.

A few days later, we got back home. I got on the internet, found the C-SPAN website and found the speech, which I then watched in its entirely. I was impressed--because the speaker was clearly intelligent and expressed himself well and seemed to rise above the petty partisan atmosphere. He seemed to have a deep belief in our country's ideals and its Constitution, in the middle of an era when those in power were ignoring or perverting them.

After he announced for president, it didn't take me long to come on board. I had thought the nominee would be Hillary Clinton or John Edwards, but I had some serious problems with Hilary. Not because of her gender or who her husband was--I was a big fan of Bill, through thick and thin. But I was feeling so angry about the stalemated political atmosphere in Washington, with firmly entrenched positions dug out by both Republicans and Democrats. Neither side was talking to the other, and bad problems were allowed to get worse: Health care, for one. The growing gap between the wealthy and poor, for another. The war in Iraq, of course, and the immense effect it was having on the U.S. budget.

Let's face it, Hilary had become a polarizing force for Republicans. So I felt if she had been elected, it would be more of the same--more stalemate, more inaction. The Republicans absolutely seemed to hate her and all she believes in (except when it became expedient for them to say nice things about her after she wasn't chosen for vice president; that's par for the course).

I liked the skinny guy, anyway. He seemed to have a positive view of the future, a positive outlook. When he talked about the problems and challenges America faces, his words made a lot of sense. He pushed the importance of compromise and unity. After years of feeling terribly depressed about where my nation was going, he made me feel more optimistic for the future. Inspired, even. I watched as many of his speeches as I could on C-SPAN.

Michigan's Legislature had, in its infinite wisdom, decided to hold a presidential primary in January 2008, even after the Democratic National Committee warned them not to. Some of the candidates who had filed asked to have their names removed from the ballot. Obama was one of them. So in a year when it seemed every state had its own primary or caucus, Michigan didn't, and I didn't get my chance to vote for him. That really bothered me.

This summer, during a mini-vacation at the in-laws, I spotted a Democratic headquarters in Ladysmith. I stepped in and asked for a bumper sticker--it was the first Democratic campaign office I had seen, and I wanted to have something to express my opinion. I put the bumper sticker in my car's rear window.

The Democratic party in my county seems to be in dunce mode. McCain signs popped up during the summer like mushrooms after a heavy rain, but Obama signs were nowhere to be seen. They never opened a local headquarters here. Never. So where do you get the friggin' signs? Hell if I know! Some started appearing in October--where they came from, I haven't the foggiest.

In the final weekend before the election, we visited Rhinelander, WI. While my wife was visiting a quilt shop, I spotted a Democratic office across the street. So I went over there. But no, they had run out of lawn signs. They offered a bumper sticker. Sorry, got one already.

I had wanted to attend one of his rallies so I could take some pictures of him. My own pictures. In the weeks before the Wisconsin primary, he had made some stops in central Wisconsin and one in Green Bay. But that was on a Monday, and I can't get away from the office on Mondays. Grrrr. He made other stops, as close as Wausau, but it was hard to find out about them in time to make the trip.

One of his forums was canceled because of a snowstorm--he returned in July to make it up. I was down there during that time. But we were there to visit S and her husband, and I put that as a higher priority to me. I was thinking at the time that he would return to Wisconsin several times during the campaign, since Wisconsin was regarded as a "swing" state, which the candidates would be battling hard to win. But before long Wisconsin stopped swinging, and the candidates focused their attention on other parts of the country.

Last Tuesday night, we watched CNN. As it became 10 p.m. Central Time and the West Coast polls closed, the networks made their declaration. My wife and I watched from the couch. No celebrating. No cheers or toasts. I just felt quiet satisfaction. That something had finally gone right. And I started feeling prouder of being an American. That we could make the change. That we could put any irrational fears behind us. And yes, I know not everyone feels that way ... and I also fear what some mental defective is capable of doing.

I prefer to think about something else. Another transforming moment. Do you remember the apartheid era in South Africa, with minority white rule and Nelson Mandela kept in a prison? He was finally released, and he led the effort of the ANC political party in the first multi-racial election in 1994. The ANC received over 60% of the vote and Mandela, as party leader, became South Africa's first black president.

Given the tense, violent history of the change to majority rule in South Africa, many feared that election would prompt a lot of racial violence. It never happened--the election was peaceful, and the world praised how South Africa made the change and found national reconciliation.

It's quite interesting to contemplate what this will mean to America's image in the world. For instance, read [URL="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/06/do0607.xml"]this article[/URL] from England's Telegraph newspaper about how it could play out in Iran. Very interesting.

On Wednesday, President Bush made a statement, which said in part:

[INDENT][I]No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday. Across the country, citizens voted in large numbers. They showed a watching world the vitality of America's democracy, and the strides we have made toward a more perfect union. They chose a President whose journey represents a triumph of the American story -- a testament to hard work, optimism, and faith in the enduring promise of our nation.

Many of our citizens thought they would never live to see that day. This moment is especially uplifting for a generation of Americans who witnessed the struggle for civil rights with their own eyes -- and four decades later see a dream fulfilled.

A long campaign has now ended, and we move forward as one nation. We're embarking on a period of change in Washington, yet there are some things that will not change. The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility -- protecting the American people. And the world can be certain this commitment will remain steadfast under our next Commander-in-Chief.[/I][/INDENT]

It was a classy thing to say. I am proud of being an American. And now I am a little bit prouder.