A Historic Day Across the World

Boomer’s 2nd Edit: I finally caught up with the Join page, so if you commented in the last 3 or 4 days, you should be on the ranks now.  I apologize for the delay, I have been preparing for finals.  After this week, I will be able to keep up with it much better…

Boomer’s Edit: Ankita I moved your post to this one since we wrote about the same thing.  Hopefully that’s ok, I just don’t think we should add too many more posts on top of the election post.  Nice post btw.  Together I think we covered pretty much everything there was to say about it from the slave trade to today 😀

Don’t forget the Elections below!  (I’ll try to work on the formatting) √

On most occasions, I would prefer to keep politics off the site, but today is not an ordinary occasion.  Today, the United States elected its 44^th President in its history.  What makes this Inauguration Day so special is that for the first time, the President-elect was an African-American.  This historic event finally proves the progressiveness of the United States.  Just 40 years ago, the United States was engulfed in racial tension.  Blacks and whites were segregated in nearly every public place.  Just 40 years ago, a black man could be refused from a restaurant because of his color.  Now, a black man stands in the highest office in the World.  The United States has come a long way from then, to be able to look past the color of a man’s skin and see the true person underneath.

I first saw Barack Obama speak nearly two years ago to a Chicago crowd on a chilly February day.  The occasion was to announce his candidacy for President of the United States.  It was obvious to anyone viewing that Barack Obama was a tremendous public speaker; however, I saw something more in him.  There was something about him that struck me.  He seemed to exude a certain charisma, and a sharp intellect.  Starting with that speech, I honestly believed I was watching the next President of the United States.

It seems so long ago now.  The candidate that no one seemed to give a chance.  A Junior Senator from Illinois, with minimal Senate experience, facing two much more experienced Senators, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.  After his victory in the Iowa caucus, he started to gain support.  Maybe this guy has a shot.

After a long, strenuous campaign against Hillary Clinton, one of the shrewdest minds in politics, Obama prevailed, though many were still uncertain how he would fair against the Republican nominee John McCain, one of the most experienced and respected members of the U.S. Senate.  One of Obama’s weaknesses, his lack of experience, was attacked often by the Republican ticket.  However, as the economy plummeted, so did faith in John McCain.  Barack Obama capitalized on the opportunity, creating a comprehensive economic stimulus plan within a week, while John McCain argued that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy were strong.

Support for Obama continued to grow, and when Election Day came around, the Obama ticket brought out voters who had not voted in years, as well as an unprecedented number of the young generation.  After a thorough victory over John McCain, Obama moved quickly to name his cabinet members.  His selection of Hilary Clinton for Secretary of State received praise from both parties, as well as many of his other nominees, including re-nominating President Bush’s pick, Robert Gates, to the position of Secretary of Defense.

As Inauguration Day approached, Barack Obama continued to have one of the highest approval ratings of a new President in the United States’ history; nearly 70 percent of the country believes that he will turn the country around.  His Inauguration Day parade shattered previous records for turnout.  Nearly 2.5 million people turned out in bitter cold weather to watch the historic event unfold.  To put that in perspective, that’s more than twice the next largest inauguration ceremony, belonging to Lyndon Johnson, as well as more than both President Bush’s and President Clinton’s Inaugurations.  It also surpasses the number of people at the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies’ parade quite handily.

As I watched the Inauguration of President Obama on TV today, I was overcome with a sense of nationalism, pride for the United States of America as I have not felt in a long time.  You could tell that many people felt the same.  As I looked at the faces in the crowd, overcome by emotion over this momentous achievement, I could not help but think how much this means to the United States, primarily the African-American population.  It has been a long time coming.  It is about time that the United States, a patchwork of people from dozens of countries and religions, had a President who represents more than just the elite white male.  This is a President of the people.  No President in history has gained the support of the nation quite like Barack Obama.  People turned out in the masses at every one of his speeches.  Obama set a record for campaign funds, the majority of which came in small donations from the middle and lower classes, a stark difference from the usual large donations from a candidate’s wealthy friends.  This election set a record for voter turnout, and no President has received more votes than President Obama.  People will stay say that he does not have the experience to lead this country.  Personally, that does not really bother me.  People said the same thing of another President, Abraham Lincoln, and I think he turned out to be a pretty darn good President.  All we need is a President who can make the right decisions.  One image that will always last in my mind, is that of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who was present at the time of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  To see the joy on his face and the tears in his eyes during then President-elect Barack Obama’s acceptance speech are something that I will never forget.  All I could think to myself was “finally, this is America.”

I am overjoyed to see the rejoicing of people all around the world, signifying a change well overdue.  Here’s to hoping that Barack Obama can turn this nation around.  After all, with a trillion dollar deficit, multiple wars, and the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, can we really afford not to?

~Boomer

Jedi :

I’m sure that many of you have heard about the civil rights movement. Before, there was huge segregation. I’m not sure how many of you have read Roll My Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, but that book describes the many atrocities that occured to African Americans. They were beaten, tortured, murdered. They were treated as second class citizens. They were given little to no respect. Once in just 45 years ago or so, Aafrican Americans were verbally taunted if they even tried to vote. Trying to enter a resturant that was “White Only” , was practically suicide.

300 something years ago, the first African was brought to America, in chains, in bondage. They were used as property for the next 100 or more years. I’m not sure if you guys know it , but originally there was an Anti-Slavery clause in the Declaration of Independence. However, to get it passed, it was removed. I’m not proud of the sometimes transparent hypocrisy of the Founders. No, I’m not disputing they were great and honorable men, but although all condemed slavery, most had slaves themselved. Anyways, America won Independence through the help of African Americans. After the Revolutionary War, many african americans believed they would become free.

Alas, this was not to be. African Americans were still given little to no respect. Eventually Abolition was being championed by a great number of people, a significant development was by Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Then the Civil War was fought. After a great and tiring battle with hundreds of thousands dying, you finally have an end to it. Finally . . .
Although one battle was won, the war wasn’t. African Americans were regularly abused, not given their rights. Mocked when trying to vote, and sometimes brutally murdered and tortured.
And now, we come to this. An African American President. . .

I remember 1 and a half years back, when I wasn’t in ACP, I had absolutely no clue who that man was. Sure, I knew Hillary Clinton (my states Senator at that time), and of course John Edwards.. But Obama? Who the heck was he?

I first saw him in the first of many debates. He spoke with clarity, yet was not that well prepared as his other rivals. I shall confess willing I supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for President until the primaries ended for the feminist movement.

However, I began to take greater notice of him after he won the Iowa Caucus. He and Hillary Clinton then had a major battle ahead of them, which I followed with great interest. Eventually then Senator Barack H. Obama became the presumptive nominee.

After, I watched the often ugly battle between him and Senator John McCain, [who is , and always will be an American Hero, and a great and honorable man]. It was rather ugly , regardless of your perspective. Mud was slung almost every day, the gloves had been taken off early ago, it was full fight.

Eventually the big day came. November4th, 2008. Election Day! It came out with Barack Obama trumping Senator John McCain with a more than 2:1 ratio (349 electoral votes).
Soon we watched Senator Obamas transition to power. He selected many notable people for his cabinet slots:

Secretary of State-Hillary Clinton (his former Rival), General Jim Jones-National Security Advisor, Timothy Geitner – Secretary of Treseurary , and several others. . . all who have been praised by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Finally we lead up to this day, the day when Barack Obama becomes the President.

President Obama has started his presidency on the right foot. He’s renewed his promises, and has had a very consistent message. I know some of you are Republicans, and disapprove of him, but please..give him a chance will ya?

President Obama has inspired so many, including me. When I see him, I think, “Why Can’t I do something, Why can’t I change my country for the better?” Sometimes, people used to say, “Well somethings are impossible”, but now, we know, everything and anything is possible.

I’m not an American Citizen, but I can say along with so many others the line, “All men are created equal” from the Declaration of Independence is finally, finally after so many years of struggle is true.

~Jedimaster17

A deeply awed and humbled person.

I know that many of you have different opinions than I do, but please respect mine as I respect yours.

YES, YES WE CAN!