< almost political thing>
Today our class visited a church, and as we were leaving a man who worked there (I'm not sure who he was) said something to our teacher in Italian. He was reminding us that the inauguration would be on at 6:00 pm.*
I wasn't even positive what time it was on. Wow. (The teacher explained that Italians support Obama, but mainly to see "the other one" leave). I ended up watching the replay on the internet since we didn't get home in time to watch it live. The acceptance speech itself may have been short on real content, but watching the ceremony was really moving for me.
For one, seeing the mall filled with people made me downright emotional. It's a little silly and nostalgic, but when I recall images of the mall entirely filled with people, and there are not that many, it's usually a proud moment in our history. So seeing a similar image at the inauguration brings up a certain set of emotions.
Also, we've just sworn in our first black president. I understand the point of view that race shouldn't matter, that a vote for Barak Obama shouldn't be because he is black, but because you think he is the best for the job. I wholeheartedly agree that voting for someone solely based on race, rather than merit, is foolish. However, at the same time, despite our push for "color blindness" (another discussion) I am proud that we elected our first black president, and our first minority president. Our country has come a long way. Yes, one can argue that Barak Obama's experiences have been different than the "average" African-American, being the son of an immigrant father and white mother, with whatever socio-economic advantages that upbringing may have come with (again another discussion). Some have brought this up as evidence of Obama not being "black enough." Still, we have elected a man who is perceived as black in American society, and the fact that he is now the president of the United States is not a small deal, especially considering that segregation was only 60 years ago, less than a generation.
He might not bring all the changes that we hope for, and considering the last eight years, I would be not entirely disappointed with just getting back to where we were in 1999. (Though I admit I am a little more optimistic than that, despite myself). Just his election to the office makes me optimistic, it shows a change in the way Americans think, it's a positive evolution in our culture. And if this is possible, it makes me dare to be just a little less cynical about our country and our government.
< /almost political thing>
*btw I'm studying in Italy this semester if you didn't know.
Today our class visited a church, and as we were leaving a man who worked there (I'm not sure who he was) said something to our teacher in Italian. He was reminding us that the inauguration would be on at 6:00 pm.*
I wasn't even positive what time it was on. Wow. (The teacher explained that Italians support Obama, but mainly to see "the other one" leave). I ended up watching the replay on the internet since we didn't get home in time to watch it live. The acceptance speech itself may have been short on real content, but watching the ceremony was really moving for me.
For one, seeing the mall filled with people made me downright emotional. It's a little silly and nostalgic, but when I recall images of the mall entirely filled with people, and there are not that many, it's usually a proud moment in our history. So seeing a similar image at the inauguration brings up a certain set of emotions.
Also, we've just sworn in our first black president. I understand the point of view that race shouldn't matter, that a vote for Barak Obama shouldn't be because he is black, but because you think he is the best for the job. I wholeheartedly agree that voting for someone solely based on race, rather than merit, is foolish. However, at the same time, despite our push for "color blindness" (another discussion) I am proud that we elected our first black president, and our first minority president. Our country has come a long way. Yes, one can argue that Barak Obama's experiences have been different than the "average" African-American, being the son of an immigrant father and white mother, with whatever socio-economic advantages that upbringing may have come with (again another discussion). Some have brought this up as evidence of Obama not being "black enough." Still, we have elected a man who is perceived as black in American society, and the fact that he is now the president of the United States is not a small deal, especially considering that segregation was only 60 years ago, less than a generation.
He might not bring all the changes that we hope for, and considering the last eight years, I would be not entirely disappointed with just getting back to where we were in 1999. (Though I admit I am a little more optimistic than that, despite myself). Just his election to the office makes me optimistic, it shows a change in the way Americans think, it's a positive evolution in our culture. And if this is possible, it makes me dare to be just a little less cynical about our country and our government.
< /almost political thing>
*btw I'm studying in Italy this semester if you didn't know.
1 Comments:
Good blog.
Portugal
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