Some of you may have heard that snippet from Pres.-Elect Obama's first press conference. He was talking about what kind of dog they're going to get the girls, and said that although their preference is a shelter dog, Malia is allergic so needs a dog that won't aggravate her allergies, and most shelter dogs, he said, "are mutts like me." It was a light-hearted moment, but it did serve to gel a few thoughts that I've been struggling with over the past couple of days.I first started writing about Barack Obama months ago, after Ken and I read his book The Audacity of Hope. Even back then, some were ridiculing him for his message of hope. No, hope is not a policy, but neither is it a dirty word. Hope is a state of mind, and hope is what drives each of us to better ourselves, to believe that there is a better way, and sometimes, it's simply what gets us out of bed in the morning.
Indigo wrote on her blog about an experience that Paul had with one of his students. The kid (a black student) was motivated to work harder because of the election of our first black president. This has already made a difference in that student's life, and I believe...I hope...that it's only the beginning.
Did I vote for Obama because he's black? No. I've been writing for months about why I like the guy and why I decided to vote for him, so I won't rehash all that. It's not important now, anyway. But in case you missed it, he is black, or as he put it, a "mutt."
I can't completely understand what it's like to be looked down upon because of my color. I can try to put myself in those shoes, but I've never experienced that sort of prejudice. No matter how you feel about Obama's politics, I think it's vital to try to understand how important this is for our country. And it starts with that little boy in Paul's class. I saw it on election night when Roland Martin was so moved that he couldn't speak; the following day when Colin Powell became choked up about how he and his family felt as they watched the results come in; and the day after that when the normally unflappable Donna Brazile talked about how the civil rights movement led to this moment, and her voice trembled as she spoke.
To downplay the impact of this is to ignore the feelings of millions. It very simply IS a big deal.
