I wondered at times these past months, if we had the courage to move past race and vote on issues. I wondered if people would fall for the idiotic emails about terrorists, Muslims and bogus citizenship claims.

It might sound odd, a white woman, saying how important and meaningful it is to see an African American elected as president. I have three boys, of European descent. It means more to me than I can say to be able to point to our president, to show my children his face on the television, and know that for them, a man of color leading and representing our nation is normal. They will grow up thinking it is absolutely normal and natural that America embraces all her children and not just a select race or religion.  Perhaps someday, the color of one’s skin is as inconsequential as hair color and we would no more discuss the African American candidate vs. the White candidate than we would the blonde candidate vs. the redhead or the black haired candidate.

We have many other battles to face. The fight against prejudice and racism is not over but the path to healing and recovery lies before us, plain, visible to the eyes. We have other issues, the ability to accept other people’s religious choices, sexual orientation. Those are battles still to be fought.

But tonight – tonight I can rejoice with my fellow Americans. And know that a new day has dawned. One full of hope and possibilities.

I voted for peace, hope, change, kindness to animals, protection of our environment, equal rights for all, a stronger economy, healthcare for the entire country, education for my children – and yours, to end the war in Iraq and to bring our brave soldiers home to their families.

I voted for myself and my children and my husband and my friends and my mother and grandmother and my dad. I voted because it is my duty, my right and my privledge. I voted because women fought hard for the right for me to do so and I don’t want to let them down. I voted because I love my country and I want to see her succeed. I voted because I love people and I want to know that tomorrow will have a chance to be better than today.

Did you vote?

In this spirit, I want to share a video and a blog promoting this spirit of change in two uniquely different ways.

First, check out this YouTube video. Great to watch. It had my 3 year old, bopping around the living room singing “Barack Obama, Elect Obama”.  I would embed it but for some reason that never works for me. If you are familiar with WordPress 2.2 and know what I might be doing wrong, I’d love to hear from you.

The second site, http://baracklobster.us/ Barack Lobster, combine comedy with politics. Very entertaining with a bit of wackiness to boot. And yes, my 3 year old has been running around the living room, shouting Barack Lobster, in between yelling ‘Elect Obama’. His verdict? It’s really cool. You can check out his early developmental stages as a crustacean or see the winner of their Find a Slogan campaign.

“I Didn’t Vote For Obama” by Kentucky Scott
Monday, October 20, 2008

I’m a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville , Florida . I’ve got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported “I Voted” stickers. But I didn’t vote for Obama.

I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with nothing as immigrants. I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades. I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky . (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq ). I voted for Shawn, another who’s been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who’ll be going back to Afghanistan again soon — and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started. I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school — it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been. I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes — Muslim. I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young. I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break. I voted for four little angels from Birmingham . I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it. I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too.

But mostly, I voted selfishly: I voted for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and one who has baseball practice at the same time.
I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them.

I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile. I voted for everything I believe in. Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn’t him I was voting for — it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all.”