Keeping the faith.

"For the first time in my life, I'm proud of my country."

Like a parent loves their child, I love my country. But I don't always like it. I love my country, but I've been disappointed so many times, in so many ways, to such an extent that it's really hard to be completely proud of it. I am proud of all of the things we've accomplished in the 232 years that this country has existed (and more). I'm proud of the Revolutionary War (guerilla warfare? C'mon, that was pretty clever at the time), the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation. I'm not proud of slavery or the Civil War or Jim Crow. I'm not proud of the assassination of Kennedy or King. But do you have any clue how many amazing inventions came from Americans? The cotton gin! The light bulb! The automobile! Peanut butter! America is absolutely amazing, in all its history and glory! I'm really proud and excited to live in a country with such a rich (albeit short) history. Democracy, industry, economy. I could say that there are lots of things that I'm really proud of.

In the more recent years - more specifically that last 10 years - things have happened that have worried, and ultimately disappointed, me. The Iraq War, most specifically. I'm proud of the American people's unity and strength on September 12, 2001. I'm proud of the rebuilding and the pure love of country and fellow man that I saw in the aftermath of the events of the previous day. But I'm sorely disappointed in the government's response. I'm disappointed, not in the war in Afghanistan, but in the war in Iraq. I'm not going to argue why here. But I'm disappointed in George Bush. I was very unhappy with the outcome of the 2000 election, but I hoped for the best. I hoped that the new Republican president wouldn't do anything to screw up what Bill Clinton had accomplished. I was young and in high school at the time and mostly oblivious to politics, but I counted on the President to do the right thing. I was disappointed in the President for shunning diplomacy. I was disappointed in Congress for giving him the big red button. And I was disappointed in the American people for letting it happen. And then, a year later, I was disappointed in the American people for coming back for more. We got screwed over and we bent over and said "Please sir, I'd like another."

But for the first time in as long as I can remember I'm so proud of my country that I want to go out and scoop up the first American flag magnet I see and stick it on my bumper. I don't put things on my bumper. Ever.

For a long time I was so disillusioned with the government that I rolled my eyes at images of the flag. To me it seemed trite and unenlightened to display the flag - a symbol of pride - when the government was so corrupt from the top to the bottom. I felt like so many people blindly followed the course of events because they didn't want to be unAmerican. But unlike Bush and the Republicans - and many others - I don't see dissent as unpatriotic. Just the opposite, the most patriotic thing that you can do for your country is to make your voice heard, even if it's the polar opposite of everyone else's.

But now I'm excited. Now I feel like the tables are turning. Yes, I do believe in that now-cliche word, "Change." I don't believe that Obama is our savior. I don't believe that he's going to bring world peace. But what I do believe is that he has a new, fresh vision for this country, a vision untainted by the Vietnam War and the Black Panthers and the dirty-hippies movement. I believe that the New Democratic Party has finally figured out that politics-as-usual isn't going to work. And that's what I'm proud of. And to me, the flag (in part) represents our government, so today I'm really proud of the political system. I know that we, as a people, can really rise above the corruption and I know that we are really a lot more intelligent (biased, I know) and hopeful than I and the world thought.

One problem that I'm truly afraid of is the idea that people voted for (or against) Obama because of his skin color. He garnered the support of more than 90% of the black population, more than any other Democrat. But why? Are all dark-skinned Americans also Democrats? Are they all liberal? Are they all seeking the same kind of change? Do they all think the same way??

My powers of logic tell me that this is highly improbable. So why else would over 90% of the black population vote for one candidate? I really detest the idea that white people vote for the white guy and black people vote for the black guy. I don't care who says it to whom, that's race. In whatever form it takes. And I can't push this nagging fear out of my head. The fear that as much talk as there is about the progressive nature of this epic election , racism hasn't changed. The state of racism in this country is no better than it was two days ago. It is no better than it was two years ago. Yes, it is truly awesome that a black man will be our next President. Yes, I am so excited and proud that I am here to see it happen. And I will probably watch his Inaugural Address alone at home in the dark with no pants (because I seem to cream myself every time he speaks... wadafxup with that?). But what got him there?

I may be fooling myself (god i hope not) but I like the idea that Barack Obama is the President-Elect regardless of his race, not because of it. He overcame racism in this country - against the odds - and proved the doubters wrong. He is a good person and so effective a politician that he was able to make people look past his skin color to see the good man that he is. I know that there are many people out there who made their decision - conscious or not - based on race, but I truly believe that the majority of the American people made their decision based on his vision, his politics, and his hope for the future.