President Barack Obama My thoughts…(Part 1 of 2)

President Barack Obama My thoughts…(Part 1 of 2)

That has a nice sound to it.

America, we’ve come a long way.

5:45 AM, November 04, 2008, and it was an election day. I had a shitty night at work, but I decided to stay up and go to the polls to vote.

I stood, in the darkness of the cold Tuesday morning, waiting in line to vote in the presidential election. Despite being tired and a little restless, I knew how important the election was to the country, to me. I looked around at the multi-racial group of people standing in line. There was something different about this election and about the people’s altitudes in line. It felt like people really cared. People looked hopeful. I haven’t seen that in a long time

After casting my vote, I traveled home and went to asleep.

Now, after the news of Obama’s win, I still am a little shocked. I’m a pessimistic guy and think of the worst case scenarios in everything. Yet, this truly surprised me.

America, despite its differences and problems, elected a black president. Race wasn’t a problem in their decision. Given the harsh history of racism, I didn’t believe people could set aside the history and elect a black president.

Blacks, like many minorities, weren’t allowed to vote in this country. When they protested this fact, they were met with violence and death. Yet, they fought on and blacks were able to vote. After a long road with a few speed bumps, America has elected a black president and race wasn’t an issue in their decision.

People say the racial barrier fell today with this election, but it started to fall with my generation. In my generation, we started to see the similarities instead of the differences. Black families lived around white families. I feel race relations improved after blacks were given the right live, work and go to school where ever they wanted.

I grew up in a mixed middle class neighborhood (black and white). I had white and blacks friends. Race between us was never an issue. To me, it is someone’s actions that tell me what kind of person they are.

I feel that as more and more blacks moved out of the city into white neighborhoods the racial barrier started to crumble. Younger people don’t have the racial hang-ups some of our parents had. Kids of all races played in the same sandbox.

Watching this election, it gives any minority hope that they can do whatever they want to, if they work hard at it. And their race or religious beliefs won’t hold them back. So, congrats to America for giving this cyclical guy a surprise of a lifetime.

Dr. King’s dream lives on.