historic happenings

I’m relieved that this election is over, though as many have already said, the hard work begins now.  And I’d like to point out that no one running, ever in the history of the US, ever has the right experience.  How can a person truly be prepared to leads this country, making the day to day decisions that are required, handling sudden emergencies and natural disasters?  That’s OTJT if you ask me.  Like imagining how I might parent if I had children, a candidate can only imagine what kind of policy decisions they’d like to make, how they’d handle a national emergency, or what possible decisions and actions they’d make and take.  Until you’re in the thick of it, everything is speculation.

I logged into Facebook this morning and was disappointed to see people making negative comments, doom and gloom predictions, sarcastic and snide remarks.  McCain’s concession speech last night was very moving: gracious and supportive and encouraging.  I was so proud of him and he made me cry.  And then his supporters booed.  I was embarrassed on their behalf.  Last night and again this morning, I was disheartened because regardless of whether or not a person was a McCain supporter – history was made last night.  Come January, we will have our first ever African-American president.  That is huge for this country.  That is huge for the world.  It’s historic and meaningful, regardless of a person’s politics.  I wish more people could embrace and experience that aspect of last night’s results.

I am not the first person blogging about the elections or last night’s results.  I am not the first person blogging today, making this request:  if you are unhappy with the results – which you have every right to feel – please, please take the high road.  If you are concerned for the spiritual direction of this country, pray.  Pray and continue to be involved in your local politics.  Pray and write letters to your congressmen and women, your state representatives.  Pray and continue to be involved so that your voice is heard.  And pray for President-elect Obama.  It is our responsibility, those of us who call ourselves spiritual and God-connected in any way.  Pray and don’t speak out making claims that you can’t back up.  Pray and do not name call.  Pray and do not be divisive.  Pray and do not make claims that only God could make.

If you are concerned about the policies of this new president, please take the high road.  Write and call to your congressmen and women, your state representatives.  Make your voices heard.  Continue to fight for the change you would like to see happen.  Be involved in your community, your schools, your neighborhoods.  Continue to move forward with your own hopes and dreams, fighting for them and do not use unfounded fear tactics and what-ifs in an effort to scare people into seeing things your way.  Engage intellectually with those who do not agree with you.  Take the high road and be gracious in your conversations.  Allow others to hear your perspective.  Give people a chance to be changed by your perspective, even if the change is simply having heard it.  And then listen to them with graciousness.  Open dialogue is so important.

As my husband reminded me last night, we are still a nation of 50 states.  You and I can still affect our states for the change we would like to see happen.  And change needs to happen, regardless of which side of the isle you might fall.  Things are broken and not working and we all have a stake and a responsibility in turning things around, Republican or Democrat.

I’ll be honest and share that even after I made the mark on my ballot, I was undecided.  I wavered throughout the entire process, finding aspects of each candidate that I liked and disliked and for very different reasons.  I could have easily flipped a coin to choose.  I didn’t, but I could have.  If McCain had been elected last night, I would have had many reservations this morning.  Obama won the election last night and I have many reservations this morning.  If McCain had won, I would also be waking up feeling assured about some things.  Obama won last night and I woke up feeling assured about some things.  But regardless of my feelings, my joys, my anxieties, I will pray and I will be more involved in my local politics, making sure my voice, my hopes and dreams for America are heard.   Let’s all do that.  We’ll be better off for it.