11.04.2008 A Day for the History Books

I was alive when the first black president was elected. Not only was he the first black president, but he was the first in a very long time (since JFK maybe?) that got people excited about the elections and being involved with our community. No one has been so charismatic and open with the public in a long time. And I was here to witness it.

I was alive for the first viable female candidate was defeated on the Democratic primaries. From her stint as a Goldwater girl, to her election into the US Senate, Hillary Rodham Clinton has been a force to be reckoned with. Did you know Bill rode on her coattails into political fame and success? She was more well-known than he was- He needed her, she didn’t need him. 

I was alive when the American population took back their government, or at least I hope that’s what this election meant. I hope that the American people hold their elected officials responsible for their campaigns promises. I hope they stay involved with the issues that matter to them. I hope the fight doesn’t stop on November 5th. I hope the revitalization is long-lasting. I want this country to belong to us, the people, once again.

I was alive when the Democrats took back the Senate and the House. For years, Congress had been deteriorating. Partisanship has taken control and a canyon has grown down the aisle. The days of isle-crossing and bipartisan friendships are nearly gone. Traditional rules have been broken down, and new rules have taken their place, allowing Party leaders to pass bills that otherwise would not have had enough support. It started with the Democrats in the 70s and got worse under Newt Gingrich and the Republicans. Over the last several years, it’s become ridiculous, and unacceptable. I hope that the Democrats realize that this needs to change in order to regain the integrity of the Senate and the House. They’ve been placed on the down end of the power trip and rule changes and they need to set it straight now that they are back on top. If they do not, then it may be up to the American people to fix it. But we’ll cross that bridge when/if we get there. 

And sadly, I was alive the day California revoked rights from same-sex marriages. Someday homosexuals will have the same marriage rights as heterosexuals. I’d just like to know why ’someday’ isn’t today. Until that ’someday’ arrives, we will fight for it. And as a member of society with full marriage rights, i will not use them until everyone is given the same rights. 

 

This is all just the beginning.

Yay, Barack Obama!

My Personal Story, Part 1

I believe in America. 
I don’t believe that I should be the only person who had a normal childhood, nor should I be the only one to graduate from college. I believe that if you try, to should gain and if you fall down, someone should help you get back up to try again. I don’t believe in handouts unless it’s merely for that fuzzy feeling you get for thinking you helped someone out (i.e. giving that homeless guy 5 bucks, that he may or may not use to buy beer, just to feel like you made a difference). I believe in Hand-ups, when I am up and you are down, let me reach out and help you up to my level so we can be equals. 

America is equality.
America is opportunity.

But we take that equality and the opportunities for granted. We use them without understanding and experiencing what it means to achieve them. This is the problem with America today. I’ll turn a shade of blue never seen before on a human complexion when I vent about mass consumerism and close-minded or ignorant people, but that’s not the root of the problem. The core issue is that so many people go through life without understanding the base ideology of America that we all buy into. 

America is Equality
America is Opportunity.

And we don’t fight for it like we should. Every moment we don’t fight for it, we lose it just a little bit. Our immigrant ancestors came to America with a full belief in the American Dream and the will to fight for their own piece of it. And they all gained something for their fight. Now, we feel to comfortable with the pieces they have left in our care. We’ve placed them in cardboard box in the attic where we think they are safe. What isn’t understood is that dust and neglect are the fatal enemies of the American Dream. It’s deteriorating and few are trying to prevent it. 

I am a sad individual. I feel a very hard lump in my chest when I think about the future. I am sad that I don’t see or feel my own American Dream. What lies in my future? Is it better than my parents’ life? Is it worse?

This is why I care about politics. This is why it matters to me and I think it should matter to everyone. I want to know for certain that I can dream an American Dream and that if I work hard enough and persevere, I can accomplish that dream. I want to have the Hope that i won’t fail.

[As i started reading The Audacity of Hope, I had a personal revelation. Admitted, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.]