Possibly an exaggeration. But maybe not. As a young person, my entire adult life has been spent under a government that I have absoutely no trust in. It is not simply that I am opposed to the policies of the Bush administration: I have lost all confidence that they are making decisions that are in my best interest, and making those decisions intelligently and responsibly.
Inevitably, there are questions of how policies and certain agendas should be executed and the real world warps all ideals as they come into formation as actual policies. Ultimately, all ideals become compromised and that is a reality I am happy to accept. But not trusting in the intentions and entire ideological drive of the government of which you are a citizen is a deeper, much more alienating problem.
Tuesday night, for the first time in my life, I felt uncontrollable adoration for the person who would be the leader of our country. For the first time, I saw American ideals like equality and liberty (which I just finished critiquing) not as abstract and fictitious, but instead as real, possible, and important ideas that can and should actually having a shaping force in our world. And I saw them embodied in a person who I admire, and who is actually in the most powerful position in the world. For the first time, I was actually proud to be an American. What an odd feeling...
It's also good to know I'm not the only one who is excited. I've never experienced such mass, communal joy before, and i have to say it feels good.
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2 comments:
I wish i could have been with more people that night, and this whole past week. Being in VT was nice, but i didn't have enough anonymous people around me to feel as intensely what you are describing.
I would vote for Obama too. But in politics, you need to see what he can achieve in the future.
Look at the presidential election in Taiwan this year, Ma Yin-jiou was elected and won by a landslide margin and now he is kowtowing to China and degrades himself to just as a leader of a region instead of a country. Insulting himself and the people he represented. His popularity has been droped to a low as that of Bush's in the USA.
So wait and see. I think Obama is smart enough and can overcome all the challenges and difficulties he is facing. We do have a very high expectation for Obama.
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