Yesterday, at 7:30 in the morning, I cast my vote for president of The United States with an immense hope that my voice would contribute to millions of others who would stand up and speak strongly for a change in the governing of our nation. Later that evening I watched an historic election be counted, tallied, and written in the history books. I saw the system of the electoral college function to reflect once again the true will of the people, without significant suspicions or areas of significant doubt, as it was certainly intended to. I felt emotions of a magnitude that I had never felt before rise within myself as I listened to the words spoken by the president-elect, Barack Obama, as he announced the victory of his presidential campaign, and the voters who chose him, to the world. This is a day that I will never forget, and remember always as a symbol of what it means to be an American, and a voting citizen of The United States of America.
I feel I should share with you the atmosphere I felt at the lunchroom at my workplace on this historic day. I happen to work at an institution with an immense diversity of nationalities, and I am grateful for the many opinions I get to hear on a daily basis. Yesterday, this was the group I broke bread together with: 2 Americans (including myself), 2 Argentinians, 1 Greek, 1 Swiss, 1 French, 1 Chinese, and 1 British. The sentiment at the table was unanimously in favor of Barack Obama's chances to win the presidency. One of us even commented that we were like the United Nations. We all shared a little laugh at that comment.
The biggest moment of the day, however, had to be when the confirmation was released that Barack Obama would be elected as the next President of The United States. It took several minutes to fully sink in that the election had finally, and decisively, gone in the direction of the will of the people. First it was John McCain, who delivered a heart-felt humble concession of the presidential race with the utmost respect and dignity. He further called on those who had supported him, to join him in supporting Obama as our new president. In spite of all the negative ads that were run by both sides in this long campaign, I truly believe both candidates have many goals in common, and I trust McCain to keep his word in continuing to work with Obama toward those common goals.
Then, it was Obama's turn to tell the country that he had won the presidency. In true Obama fashion, he quickly made the speech about the people who have supported his cause as he acknowledged everyone in the world from allies to enemies, from supporters to opposers, and all facets of the voting population. He told a captivating tale from the perspective of a 106-year-old voter, citing every crucial event in history within her life time, and reminded us that we are a resiliant people, who should always stand together when times challenge us and temp us to just fall apart. It is true that only time will tell to what degree any president is able to succede and meet the challenges of their time. But Obama gave me more hope with his words in these dire times than any president I can remember. Though I support him now, and am excited for his victory, I remind myself that the decissions of any president should always be scrutinized by the people of these United States. Though the president is our elected leader, it is always our will they should follow, and our opinions great or small, that they should consider. I pledge my support to Barack Obama as he prepares to assume office, and I encourage every American to do the same.
Enough politics now! I shall try to get back to reviewing books, movies, and other events in my life for your reading enjoyment!
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