Barack Obama is OUR President.

[jessipsaloquitur]

As a matter of context: my extended family members are, for the most part, conservative Republicans. As you can probably imagine, election years make for really interesting holidays and family events. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about what I'd like to say to them today. Whether it was the fever, the wine, the Tylenol PM, or the echoes of Barack's speech running through my head, I simply could not go back to sleep until I got up wrote out my thoughts. I thought I'd share them here as well.


Last night we were all witnesses to history, as we saw our nation elect the first African-American President. Last night we, as a country, chose a more perfect Union, we choose hope over fear, and we chose the promise of our future over the limitations of our past.

Last night, Barack Obama became MY President. I can't adequately express the joy I feel over that. I've not had a President whose values and ideals I've shared for 8 years, and even more disillusioning, I've not had a President whose ascendance to that office I could believe in as legitimately gotten.

Last night that changed as Barack Obama became MY President. Last night I cried tears of joy and pride and hope as I witnessed a man elected President who I not only shared policy views with, but in whose IDEALS, CHARACTER, WISDOM and INTELLECT I could believe in.

Last night Barack Obama became MY President and I couldn't be more proud of him, of this nation, and of everyone who dared to hope and cast their vote for Obama. If that was you, thank you. I am so very proud of you. I challenge you, though, to continue to remember that YES WE CAN. I challenge you to continue to believe that you not only have a stake in our hope for tomorrow, but that you have a role in making it a reality. I challenge you to remember the words of another great leader, and continue to ask yourself what it is that YOU can do for this country. What child can you mentor? What cause can you support? What organization can you give your time and your passion to? As last night proved, we are indeed the agents of change.

If you did not support Barack Obama in yesterday's election, I urge you to take another look at the man, without the fear-tinged, misleading lens of an election campaign. I challenge you to open your heart to the language of hope, rather than the constant drum of fear. I challenge you to truly listen as Barack Obama speaks to the best in us, as individuals and as a nation. I challenge you to dare to hope again in our best selves, in our more perfect union, in a better tomorrow for all of us.

Because while yesterday Barack Obama became MY President, more importantly he became OUR President.

I leave you with this verse:
Rosa sat so that Martin could walk.
Martin walked so that Obama could run.
Obama ran so that our children could fly.

I challenge all of us to reach past policy differences, religious ideologies, and party affiliations and work together to help create that future where all of our children – children of all skin colors, of all religions, of all creeds, of all genders and sexual orientations, children of all abilities and socio-economic backgrounds – where ALL of our nation's children can indeed soar to their loftiest dreams and goals.

In love, healing, and hope,
Me.

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*applause!!!*