Quote of the day:
And it is not just Obama's skin color and parental background that makes him different. He has a fundamentally different world view from anyone who has ever been President. He was raised in the global cultural polyglot of Hawaii; he spent four years as a formative youth in Indonesia; today his Grandmother and dozens of his cousins and kin are scattered through out rural Kenya, many living in dirt floor huts. Phil Noble [Bold letters, mine]
Last week I had the pleasure and honor to facilitate a Staff Development Day for the staff of the old Center where I was Director. Some of the veteran staff were sharing stories about how or why they remembered me. One of the Korean teachers reminisced about the time she had come to me concerned. She and the head teacher were both Korean, and she was worried about what people might think if both teachers in an American preschool classroom were both Korean. She recalled that I had laughed and said, "Well, there are two white teachers or two African American teachers. What's wrong with two Korean teachers?" She expressed being grateful about that. For some reason, that incident and memory made me think about why I am voting for Obama.
Walking along these past two days, proudly wearing my new Obama T-shirt, I have been thinking many Obama thoughts and, mainly, what he represents for me. This morning I heard a somber, gloomy James Carville urging Obama to get angry and forcefully challenge McCain. So many media pundits seem so anxious that Obama is not angry enough. Hm ... I wondered, as I walked along, how do we change politics and the status quo fundamentally through anger? How do we reach out to the other side with an open mind and willingness to understand their language through anger? Obama represents for me "a different world view from anyone who has ever been President." More than that, he symbolizes for me the end of White Supremacy, a sincere confrontation of bigotry, and, more importantly, the end of ignorance. In short, I like the way Obama talks to me - the people - and the way he treats me - the people. He does not insult my intelligence. He does not use language like "obliteration" when talking of other nations. I like the way he hesitated with his answer about what constitutes the beginning of life in the abortion debate. For the answer is complex. There is no one Truth, and he was not afraid to show that in his response.
The cynics are rocked, moved, uncomfortable, and that is all right with me. The message of hope and change works well for me, and Obama's style feels strong and knowledgeable. When the storm of cynicism and despair, hate and fear crashes around and about, up and over, I will stand firm with Obama. For he represents for me an end to fear and hatred of "the other."
So, I'm wearing my Obama T-shirt and black Obama hope wristband, hanging out the Obama sign on my fence for everyone to see. I'm donating my allocation monies to his campaign this year for I believe he is the change we need, and he will be good for the world too! A friend of mine shared with me last weekend how she fears that he lacks substance. I thought to myself that perhaps it is the very substance of Obama that scares people so. The different world view - systems changes are indeed the scariest, the most uncomfortable for people to face.
I am not a religious person but I will be praying these next few months. Praying to the people of America to have the courage, even as they fear difference, are rocked by the cynics, and long to hold back in the delusional safety of the shadows of darkness and ignorance - to stand together in full force, and vote with me in November for Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States of America.
A year ago at Mining Nuggets: Quote of the day
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