The title of this post is from the song “Volunteers” by Jefferson Airplane, and though it was written in the ’60s, I think nothing is more appropriate to the way I feel today.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes early this morning, wondering if I had slept at all, and if I had, was I dreaming?
After living through 8 years of bloopers, blunders and practical jokes-which i guess is a nice way of saying ignorance, hate, war-mongering, imperialism, profiteering, deceit, closed government, secrecy and violations of human and privacy rights shrouded by the buzzwords “national security”-I feel rejuvenated.
Finally, our generation, which has been accused of being apathetic, lazy and ignorant about politics and the world around us finally stood up and collectively said “enough is enough.” We put aside race and hatred and finally did something that was long overdue-and I’m not even talking about finally electing a black man to the highest office in our nation. I’m talking about electing someone because we trusted their ideas and believed in the change that they proposed. We didn’t let the culture of fear affect us and we didn’t let bogus negative attack ads sway our point of view.
This is the dawning of a new era, where people of all ages have become engaged in politics. All the wounds the the United States has created in the world, which once seemed like they would do us in as a culture, now seem like they can be mended. People all over the world celebrated as Obama was announced as the President-elect. Right now, it seems like anything is possible, and it hasn’t felt like that for me in a long time.
The world is changing, and for the first time in 8 years, it’s in a good way. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we as a generation hold the map to guide us there. Now it is in our hands to continue to elicit change.
Goodbye stuffy conservatives and right-wing Christian extremists. Your days are numbered, this is our day. We stood up and took your archaic views to task…
You got old and we’ve got soul…
Jason Yurgartis • Nov 6, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I’m not intentionally excluding groups, those who are conservative and/or ultra-religious are welcome to get on board and I don’t think they’re bad people, I just think it’s unlikely they will be open-minded towards change. Basically, I feel like my point-of-view has been completely excluded over the past eight years and I’m excited about the prospect of having a voice in government again. The people who disagree can get on board or step aside-preferably get on board-but it seems unlikely if the political climate doesn’t change.
Ryan • Nov 6, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Immigration reform was bipartisan. McCain-Feingold. That’s more than Obama has ever reached across the aisle. I’m conservative and I think the republican deserved to be thrown out. But if your running a platform based on change and unity, I don’t think the supporters should intentionally be excluding groups of people they disagree with. It goes both ways. Are people who want gay marriage open to the ideas of people who don’t want gay marriage? As for anything being possible in America, of course there is a caste system, but it can be overcome. It’s just a fact that some people are not going to be able to move into a different class. If everyone in America were given $100,000 to “begin anew,” more likely than not that money would arrive in the same hands as now in two years.
Jason Yurgartis • Nov 6, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I can’t think of one time the current administration reached across the aisle in any way unless they were forced to. In fact, no administration in my lifetime did more to divide the country. There was no such thing as “red” and “blue” states before Bush. The terms “liberal” and “conservative” now have more of a negative connotation to the opposing party than they ever have.
I disagree that “anything is possible all of the time” in America. It feels more like a caste system than anything else. Upward mobility in this country is harder to achieve than ever. The fact that someone from such a humble upbringing could become president is more of an exception to the rule.
And as far as uniting the country? That’s not my job. If people are open-minded enough, and I seriously doubt either of those groups are, then the process of being united will occur organically. Even if Obama is the best President ever, I can’t see Hannity, Limbaugh, and O’Reilly jumping on board.
Ryan • Nov 5, 2008 at 11:44 pm
It’s pretty sad that you would let one person have such a profound affect on your way of life and your thinking. You live in America, anything is possible all of the time. Also, aren’t you trying to “unite” the country? That includes “stuffy conservatives” and “ring-wing christian extremists.”