Food for thought from Connor Young:
More than one-hundred thousand people gathered in Grant Park, Chicago last night to celebrate the start of a new chapter of the American story. The jubilant and emotional faces in the crowd told the truth that had been obscured by eight years of Republican domination of American policy ? that this is a diverse nation where people from all over the world have been called together to live in one great society. We will learn to celebrate our differences, or we will fail.
Not long ago when Barack Obama was seeking his first primary win in Iowa, a predominately white state, many African Americans were supporting Hillary Clinton. The prospect of a man with an African heritage actually winning the presidency of the United States seemed to many blacks an unrealistic dream. But when white voters in Iowa spoke in favor of Obama, many blacks started to believe that their time had come in America at last.
Last night in his eloquent concession speech, John McCain praised the historic nature of his opponent?s victory. Today in a speech at the White House, President Bush also took a shot at marking the significance of this election for all Americans who value civil rights. Rightly so, this is a time to recognize and celebrate our country?s continuing shift towards the ideals of its forefathers. We may take the occasional detour, but on the big timeline we always seem to move in the right direction.
But this election, despite all that it has accomplished for America?s future, is also marked with stark failures that simply cannot be ignored. And in California, where it now appears likely that voters will approve an amendment to the state constitution to outlaw gay marriage, the African American community that voted so resoundingly for its own equality last night bears the responsibility of that failure.
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