--why we can.

[karanguni]

There are a lot of people who would point at me and laugh if were to tell them that, today, this morning, I burst out into shouts and tears when the networks began to project that Barack Obama would be the next President of the United States, and maybe rightly so -

What does Barack Obama have to do with me, in my country - two oceans away, a completely different demographic, age, race and sex. This is true: Barack Obama has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with anyone else who doesn't live in the United States, even in the light of an increasingly globalised world. As a political entity, he is the president of the USA, and I am a citizen of an alien nation.

But he is a signifier of change. I say, yes - he has made no real change yet, he has not yet stepped into the Oval Office. But when Barack Obama started running for presidency, he represented a dream of equality, dignity and belief that is out of fashion in an age of instant gratification, cynicism, and refusal to believe in certainty.

What Barack Obama represents is a certainty that is not founded in old traditions of injustice or in a personal advocacy of his records - Barack Obama swept away, tonight, barriers of race, partisan politics, but - most of all - he won office by convincing people - in his country and everywhere else - that there is basis in believing in a dream.

When I told my dad Barack Obama would win the nomination, he said America was too prejudiced. When I told my dad Barack Obama would win the presidency, he said the world was too prejudiced. Barack Obama won the nomination, Barack Obama won the presidency; Barack Obama won the hearts of people who haven't had a dream to believe in for years.

Today I am not a cynic, today I am not ashamed to cry for something I put my faith in in spite of disassociation, distance, age, race, sex, orientation, religion or taste. Today, someone stood up and said, yes we can.

Yes we can.

His words are best:


"... white or black, gay or straight ...

... those who are cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history to bend it once more."

Comments

[dnatio-memoriae.livejournal.com]

YES. YES X 1000000000000~

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

PROUD TO BE HUMAN.

[jessieheart.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy that I went out to the lawn and cheered with neighbors I didn't know I had. ♥

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

TIS A GOOD DAY!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ice_lady_/]

What does Barack Obama have to do with me, in my country - two oceans away, a completely different demographic, age, race and sex. This is true: Barack Obama has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with anyone else who doesn't live in the United States, even in the light of an increasingly globalised world.

Don't get me wrong, but... this same sentence would've looked funny as hell had you put 'Bush' instead of 'Obama' put Irak on the name of the country.

Whether we like it or not, US has been a global police for far too long and whatever they do tends to reflect everywhere.

I, too, was terrified that the Americans won't choose Obama, mostly because it's black. The whole when push comes to shove, people tend to show their true side.

I'm so glad they did show their true side and it turned out to be like this. Phew, relieved!

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

The US is a v. global presence, but I wrote that in response to people asking me, why do I care so much as a person for Barack Obama, and that's why. \o

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ice_lady_/]

I know I know. That's why I'm totally bedazzled with people asking you that. I mean, what the hell? Where have they been in the past 100 or so years? US politics bound to the boundaries of US?! Cold war was a James Bond invention, I see...

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

It's just the age I am, I guess. I have really tired, cynical real life friends who think 18 is 800 and that an appropriate response to Obama's win - even if they are a supporter - is to tell me, "yes you're an idealist, and I hope he doesn't get assassinated" when I am busy whooping for joy. That really ticked me off. D:

[sharaith.livejournal.com]

I was doing my own whooping for joy when it became obvious that he'd won, but all through his acceptance speech I was half-expecting someone to take a shot at him. Because it all seems just too good to be true.

Hopefully the feelings of doom will wear off in a day or two. :)

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

:D :D HAPPINESS SHOUDL BE SHARED. ♥

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ice_lady_/]

*snuggles* _{Sadly, I do fear assassination.}

[maho-kiwi.livejournal.com]

[hughughug]

it really was a great speech, wasn't it ^_^

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

It's made me sit up and think about a lot of personal things in my life that need change, not just the wider political world. He reminds me to be a good human being. I've missed that. ♥

[ununoriginal.livejournal.com]

WORD, woman! i couldn't agree with u more! i was trying to explain to my colleague why i wanted obama to win and u've put it across in the most eloquent way :)

[karanguni.livejournal.com]

Yes! Singaporeans can be very D:, especially about politics.

[white-jenna.livejournal.com]

I really wish that more people in this country showed the interest that you did.