4TH NOVEMBER . 2008 . 11:30 PM – A day that will long be remembered as the day the black man finally pushed down the walls that had been enforced on him through centuries of oppression, slavery, apartheid, and being denied the right to vote. And it happened in a manner so emphatic that even Senator McCain, him of the sleaze, underhand politics, and the name calling, couldn’t help but graciously accept his defeat at the hands of a man, who is without doubt, one of the most educated and knowledgeable candidates to ever stake claim to the office of president. It is hard to recall any such event of the past 50 years that has had such a pronounced effect worldwide, a consensus among people and premiers the world over, from Iran to Afghanistan, from Iraq to India and Kenya and Australia. The announcement that Barack Obama was the new president elect was greeted with widespread cheer on a scale unprecedented, and probably one which would never again be witnessed. For the lucky thousands that gathered at Grant park, I can only imagine the emotions that washed over the crowd that night. People were seen dancing in the crowd, some shedding tears of joy, others soaking in the momentous occasion. Never in history has a black man been cheered on by this large a following, and for good measure too.
In total contrast with the ups and downs of the most heated and hotly debated US presidential election in history, on Election day, there was a certain air of inevitability about the nationwide Presidential elections . For John McCain, it was about preparing his concession speech as millions of people nationwide waited long hours in serpentine queues to cast their vote. For Barack Obama though, the day was about preparing his victory speech at the Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, the city that had witnessed the birth of the future leader of the country almost 21 months ago. It is impossible to conceive of the pressure that sat on his shoulders. The first African-american man to reach the top of the political ladder in over 200 years of existence. The youngest ever president, and yet one filled with so much hope and vision for change. No single man in history has mobilized a movement so all-encompassing, so powerful and so basic in its message: Don’t wait for change, BE the change. And so it was, that at close to 11:30 PM on a historic night, the wall of segregation, of racial discrimination, that monstrous edifice symbolic of a dark period in American history, was finally brought down in one emphatic fell swoop.
For the past 2 years almost, the Presidential campaign has held the collective breath of the American populace like none before, and probably like no future election will. Suddenly, it was cool to vote, it was fashionable to talk politics. Around the water cooler in offices, and at the family dinner table all across the nation, one singular topic held sway over a nation’s collective mind. Credit should be given here to both candidates in the race, for bringing such passion to the presidential race. Credit, although begrudgingly must also be given to George Bush, that wrecker-in-chief, for had it not been for his clueless, arrogant and inept handling of the country, these 2 men would not have had such a broad political platform from which to speak of their vision for change. Yet, both men chose contrasting paths to stake their claim to the coutry’s highest office. One spoke of the need for change, to walk away from the debris and the urgency of the need to begin reconstructing an America from the ashes. The other kept hitting away at the first, in the mistaken belief that this election was an audition for American Idol, and that repeated barbs over his opponent’s personal life over the 21 month period would win him the contest. As the weeks outgrew the days, and the months passed, a slow, almost invisible reconstruction began to take place in the grassroots of America as Obama and his campaign began spreading the word, knocking on doors, passing the promise on by word of mouth. As this movement gained momentum, it was evident we were on to something special here. Here was a junior senator from Illinois, barely 2 years young in the Senate, displaying the maturity expected of a leader, while in total contrast, Senator Maverick McCain, him of the 26+ years experience in the Senate, showed a childish ineptitude in coming to terms with the growing popularity of a man he had hardly heard of before.
All said and done, the following (in order) are the ones we need to thank:
- George
Bush - Dick Cheney
- Katie Couric
- Colin Powell
- Saturday Night Live
- Keith Olbermann
- Jon Stewart
- Steven Colbert
Without the foolish and inept handling of the country by the 1st two names, and the vocal and at times surprisingly partisan journalism the subsequent list of reporters demonstrated, it would’ve been largely impossible to defeat McCain’s campaign of hate, fear mongering and polarization. Although they weren’t as unbiased as we might like our news channels to be, one thing can be agreed upon: that they played an enormous role in ensuring that a relatively unknown senator from Illinois was able to surge his way up the party order, and garner a crowd of disgruntled citizens to move in the direction of progress and change. The work he did to mobilize this support at a grassroots level is worthy of appreciation. Everytime Obama was pushed on the backfoot by allegations of him “being a Muslim” (Yes apparently being a Muslim is now a crime in this country), his associations with Bill ayers or Jeremiah Wright, Obama responded in a manner befitting a man of his stature. Rather than be drawn into mud slinging matches, he stayed focussed on the job at hand, resurrecting the economy, providing an effective healthcare plan for the country, and focussing on reform.
More than anything else, in my mind, the Presidential Election of 2008 showed a yawning rift within the country, brought to the fore a nation divided by race and religion, and the elements trying to polarize the country. Now that the country FINALLY has an African-American president, I have one nagging question in the back of my head to ask of this country, of the countless journalists that report the events, of the citizens of the nation: Can we stop classifying this country as blacks, asians, indians, pakistanis, americans, redskins, whites and others. When you refer to an African American, from now on, avoid saying African American. We know from decades and centuries of struggles by the blacks, that it is derogatory to refer to a person on the basis of color, irrespective of whether the reference is a complimentary or a derogatory one.There is no need to even mention the race of a person, for in acknowledging race or religion, we agree subconciously that it still somehow matters and give it an prominence it does not merit. While it is worth noting that President Barack Obama is a black, and the first man of color to reach the White House, lets take a vow here and now; to cease this reference to Obama, (or the many other people of color that would ascend the highest government offices today, tomorrow or in the decades and centuries ahead) by their color or race. Joe the Plumber, Tito the Builder, Cathy the florist, and other such name-profession associations are almost on the same level of base, insulting comments as is racism. Barack Obama is an American first and foremost. He has succeeded in the first part of his career: in getting elected. Now as we look to the next 4 years, whether you’re republican, democrat or independent, whether you’re Indian, African, Asian, lets support the man we elected, and ensure that the nation doesnt go down the same path we did 8 summers ago. The time is here, and CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA. Let get to work to ensure this change is the one we’ve been waiting for.
Babble Without a Pause 