National Unity

Found floating around in that great ocean of electrons commonly known as The Internet.

The election is over,
The results are known.
The will of the people
Has clearly been shown.
Let’s forget the quarrels
And show by our deeds.
We will give our leader
All the help that he needs.
So let’s all get together
And let bitterness pass,
I’ll hug your elephant
And you kiss my ass.

Yes We Can!

As I perused my ballot, two large pages, heavy in text on both sides, I felt the significance and history of the moment. Leaving the polling place on a golden fall morning, the honor and privilege to be able to vote was on my mind.

By 7:30 on a pleasant fall evening, the television was tuned to the election returns, with the expectation of a long evening laying ahead.  As I emailed my son in Pittsburgh, the computers and pollsters projected an Obama victory in his now home state of Pennsylvania.  Then Candidate Obama was one step closer.  A hour later, Ohio went the same way.

By 11pm, Senator McCain was calling President Elect Obama, and graciously speaking to his hard working supporters and a watching nation.  Finally, around midnight, Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States spoke to the world.

There were few dry eyes in that Grant Park crowd, these eyes are not dry even as I write this, while listening to portions of his speech on the morning news.

“Yes we can!”

Yes. We can move forward undivided. Yes, we can have hope for our future and the future of our children. We can elect a black man to the highest office in these United States.

“Yes we can!”

See Ya. Goodbye.

Ok.  It’s not pretty, this video.  It’s poorly lip synched, but I think you’ll get the idea.  The band is Steam, and they did the original version back in 1969.  Which would be the year after I graduated high school.

Yunz (that’s Pittsburgh talk) can sing it Tuesday night as we wave “bye bye” to the Republicans and that joker of a President they call “Boosh.”

And no, I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Ignorance Rules

My post yesterday about the racism, hatred, and religious prejudice espoused by a sign in front of a Cincinnati hardware store got me thinking about some of the ignorance I’ve seen bantered about recently.

• This stuff about Senator Obama being a “terrorist” or having “terrorist connections.”  How in the world could such an accomplished man, Harvard graduate, attorney, and Senator in the Congress of the United States get away with such connections?  Think about it.  If you can think.
• The idea that there is scientific evidence that the world was created only 5000 years ago and that “man walked with the dinosaurs.”  Where’s the proof that this is nothing more than “wishful thinking” at best?  “Wishful thinking???”  There’s thinking in that “idea?”
• And while we’re on this topic, it’s hard to image that we’re still debating about the teaching of evolution to our children.  I thought that was settled with The Scopes Trial back in 1925.
• Barack Obama being a Muslim is bantered about by the wingnuts and others.  He has clearly stated his belief in Christianity.  And if he is a Muslim?  What’s the problem?  I always thought the US to be a nation that believed in religious freedom.
• In health class at the high school my children attend, there is a section on sex education.  Except that a whole bunch of information is left out.  Abstinence is the only thing taught.  Ignorance rules.

It’s no surprise to me that our nation has lost its way.  People listen to this blather and accept it as fact without so much as checking the facts themselves.  I realize I’m showing my own bias here, but it seems to me more folks need to turn off their radios and quit listening to the wingnuts spewing their hatred, anger, and prejudice.  Maybe read a book or talk to their neighbors.

As Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun, and radio personality used to say, “Wake Up Uhmericah!!!”

It’s A New World

Back in July 2008, about 100 of us singers in the community joined together to create the video below.  The song, It’s a New World, was written by two guys incarcerated in Warren Correctional Institute near Lebanon, Ohio.

The video, which is a little over 9 minutes in length, features a diverse group of Cincinnati singers; children and adults, from various ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs.  We came together to make beautiful music to help bring needed change in this country.  The video contains words from Barack Obama, but regardless of your political choices, enjoy the music.

Oh, by the way, you can find me in some of the footage from 2:10 to 3:12.  That’s me, wearing a black t-shirt with Voices of Freedom (my choir) singing away and clapping my hands.

It’s a new world!

Thank You. I Accept.

On Thursday, August 28, 2008, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party to be their candidate for President of the United States.

On that momentous occasion of being the first black man in the history of America to run for the Presidency of the United States of America, Senator Obama gave the speech of his life.

Last night Barack Obama won my vote. His speech told me all that I needed to know about the man and what he stands for. His speech reached inside me like few others have, in that he spoke to what I believe in.

Our nation has needed this type of oratory for a long time. Inspiration! Belief in country (it’s no surprise that my friend, Paula Reed, who was fortunate enough to attend this speech, cried at the Pledge of Allegiance).

His speech was powerful. Strong.  Inspiring! And should strike a chord with any citizen who believes in this nation.

What a Wonderful World

Normally, I despise political campaign ads because they are normally an attack on the opposition rather than anything about the advantages of a particular candidate.

In the last few days, however, the Barack Obama campaign released this ad that brought a smile to my face.  For those of you who might be labeled Baby Boomers, you might even remember the tune from your teenage days.

Let me direct about my leanings right now.  I support Barack Obama because I believe he brings a needed wind of change to America.  I think our nation has been following a sadly incorrect path of the past eight years or so and that we need to move in a different direction.  Senator McCain presents himself as a man of honor, but I’m afraid his policies and direction will be no different than those of the current administration.

What do you think of the Obama ad?  Does the US need a change of direction such as Obama might represent?  Add your thoughts and comments.

Irony

I found this quote, attributed to US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, on another web site:

“This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can invade its neighbour, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Things have changed.”

Apparently things have not changed, Madame Secretary.

A four-letter word comes to mind:  I R A Q

May You Burn

Sophmom recently posted an article on her blog referring to a story in Salon, entitled How Karl Rove played politics while people drowned. I highly recommend the article, as it delves into the despicable political games played while the people of New Orleans, that happens to be a city in the United States, suffered in one of the worst disasters in our short history.

The Bush government is not only inept, it’s corrupt and just plain wrong. It’s a government that’s more than willing to sacrifice those it serves for its own political expediency.

I usually don’t read they myriad of comments found after stories like this one, but this particular comment by someone known as “tangerine” got my attention:

burn in hell forever
Bush, Rove, all of them. They stole the White House, then eight years of our national life, and actual lives in New Orleans and Iraq. I can’t really express my rage properly.

Economic Stimulus

Today, our family received our “Economic Stimulus” check from the US Government. A check, by the way, that our country can ill afford to be sending when they are trillions of dollars in debt.

The theory behind these checks is that the American people will go out and spend that easy money on more consumer goods that they don’t need, thus stimulating the economy. Or at least the bottom lines of the large corporations and their lobbyists who concocted this scheme.

Some will spend more than their check on much more stuff they don’t need, charging purchases to their already overloaded credit cards, thus economically stimulating the bottom line of selected financial institutions.

In this household, we plan to take this blood money (and it is), and use it to provide economic stimulus to our own family. The bulk of those dollars will be used to pay off debt, the remainder being invested for our future. Folks, the consumption orgy is over. Turn out the lights and put a few bucks back for your future.

That’s the best Economic Stimulus I can think of.

As my Economics professor reminded us just about every class, in his pre-lecture monologue, “there is no such thing as free lunch.“