Last night I celebrated Barack Obama’s victory in the streets of Washington, DC with hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow Americans who were exulting in a spasm of patriotism that had been a long time in coming. I overheard one young African-American muttering, “After 400 years. After enslaving my people. Finally!”
African-Americans and whites and other Americans of all races were dancing, crying out, screaming with pride. It was the kind of joy I’ve seen only a few times before- when the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1988 or when the Seattle Mariners advanced to the American League Championship Series in 1995. But this time it really mattered. This time we were celebrating a nation at its best.
After the disgrace of Guantanamo Bay. After the horror of Abu Ghraib. After a war of choice. After Katrina. After years of reckless fiscal mismanagement. After the Florida recount. But also after slavery, after segregation, after Emmett Till. After Selma, after Little Rock, after David Duke, after Bull Connor, after Birmingham. After Willie Horton, after Jesse Helms.
After so many other shameful moments in our nation’s history, we have finally redeemed ourselves and our forebears.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
And after John F Kennedy who told us to ask what we could do for our country, and we're finally listening.
And after Martin Luther King, who's Dream just took a huge step forward.
Post a Comment