A Reason to Hope

Today one of the other Kindergarten moms called me and two other moms who also drop their children off in the Kindergarten line "Socialists." First I snittily thought, "Hmmm, I didn't realize McCarthyism was alive and well," and then I just felt sad. Sad, because that is the exact problem with politics and our society right now. Which is why I hope that the woman I talked to today can take a deep breath, get over her disappointment, and do what she can to get the United States of America back on track. I hope we all can. Many of my friends are on the more conservative end of the political spectrum, and I have enjoyed hearing their opinions, as well as those of my more liberal friends and family, over the past months, listening to what they had to say, for I know many very intelligent women and men, educating myself and then forming my own opinions. Isn't America great? So some may say "Socialist" (honestly? for real?!) but I prefer "Optimist."

I classify myself as neither a liberal nor conservative, but a moderate. I know many of you don't share my political beliefs, and are very disappointed in the outcome of last night's election. And you are free to skip over this post and we can continue on, friends with many commonalities, and a few differences, as we are. But if you decide to read on, please don't call me names, please understand that as you have your opinions, these are mine; I respect and love you, my friends, even in our differences, and I would hope you would do the same for me. In the spirit of the fact that I use this blog as a journal of sorts, and in light of the historical and social ramifications of the results of yesterday's elections, I felt I needed to record my thoughts at least for my future self.

I am ready to be inspired. I am ready for a leader who can fill us with hope and a determination to make this country the country it should be, the country that it has been in the past. It has been a hard go for the U.S. over the past six years. Ever since Bush declared war on Iraq and an "if you're not for us you are against us" policy ensued, I have felt we were being led in a very negative direction, a feeling that has only been amplified by the stagnation in our Capitol and the current economic crisis.

Our leaders have failed us because they could not get along, because their opinions were like the woman's above, "If you don't believe the same as I do, we can't work/play/cooperate with one another and I will probably resort to calling you names." This is pure intolerance, one of the most divisive and harmful traits a person, or nation, can have. And for those of you readers who are Mormon, we know this one all too well because it is used against us all the time! This is such the wrong attitude, and one we all need to get rid of today if we are to move our country forward. We live in an amazing country where we are all entitled and allowed to have and express our opinions, and how wonderful and unique that is! I think we have gotten lazy. In the past, if we didn't like the way things were going, we got to work to make a change. Now it feels like instead we pout and hate and grumble (I'm not calling anyone out more than myself-which may be why it feels so good to be inspired to action!). Watching politics as I do, I have felt so frustrated that nothing has been accomplished in recent years because our two parties could not seem to get over their differences and see to the needs of our country and our world.

Enter Barack Obama. After listening to many of his speeches and reading through his policy plans, a spark of hope entered me. I don't agree with him on every point, but his vision for this country is inspiring to me. His belief in our ability to rise from these ashes and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps makes me believe too. He encourages us all to become a part of the solution, in fact, he declares that we must; he cannot do it on his own. We all need to step up. He recognizes the pit we have dug for ourselves and has well-thought-out and realistic plans for getting ourselves out. I love the time and thoughtfulness he put into his response to the economic crash. He did not react. He did not panic. He took a bit of time to consult with experts and come up with parameters for the bailout that would be necessary to make it safe for us, the tax-payers. This spoke volumes to me about what kind of President he would be. Obama seems to me a man of contemplation, consideration, determination, inspiration and perspiration!

I truly believe Obama will keep us safe. I can't imagine him, or any leader of our wonderful country, doing something that would put our country or our citizens in danger. So regarding Iraq and Afghanistan I believe he will lead us well. He wants to elevate our standing in the world back to a position of respect and admiration, using diplomacy and wisdom not brute force. But if the need is there, he will defend us. He is an advocate for green technology and sees it as a way to create jobs and become a world leader in healing our planet. He wants to fix our failing health care system, so that it is affordable for everyone. It does not destroy our current system, medicine won't be socialized, it just creates insurance plans that are affordable for people who are living on too little money as it is. How is that wrong? It seems like a very Christian way of looking at things. Are we not our brother's keepers? He recognizes the need to improve our failing education system, rather than just patch holes. While he is a pro-choice advocate, he believes first in education and access to birth control as a way to eliminate unwanted pregnancies, before they even happen. He has a detailed plan to help our economy bounce back and has told us he will go line-by-line through the current budget and eliminate waste. And he recognizes that it will all take time, work and sacrifice from all of us. He is not perfect, but he has hope and freshness and good ideas.

And finally, he is the first African-American President that this country has elected. As a student of history, it is amazing to me that we have come to this day, considering where we were only 50 years ago. I cannot see how even one person who watched the speech by Barack Obama last night was not inspired by the significance of this election. Watching the celebrations in the different African-American communities that were shown on CNN made me cry. I did not live during segregation, race has not really been an issue for me in my life, but I realize that that is not true of many Americans, that the color of their skin has affected their lives and liberties. By electing an African-American president, the doors of possibility have opened for millions of Americans; the perception that skin color is limiting is now destroyed. We have come far. The results of this election make me proud to be an American, the land of opportunity for all.

So yes, I have a reason to hope. We are at a beginning. We need to roll up our sleeves and dig in. As voters we need to hold soon-to-be President Obama to his promises and obligations. But we need to help too. I know that there is hard work ahead for everyone; that changes will not be made overnight, patience will be required; that we all need to step up and overcome our differences, Republican, Democrat, Independent, everyone. We need to get over name-calling and disappointment and work together for the future of our country. McCain gets that. He said it clearly and pointedly in his concession speech last night. He is willing to do everything he can to get our country back on track. He will work hard, President Obama will work hard, and we need to too, because it is going to be a long road ahead to once again become "the shining city on the hill."