this morning, for the first time in four years, i woke up to a song other than "wonderwall". it's something i never really noticed until i was abruptly woken up by the default verizon wireless ringtone. it was a change.
whether you are a democrat or a republican, now is the time for change. things have been the same for a really long time and a lot of people are figuring out that it is not working so well. it's time for the status-quo to be shaken up a bit. it can be a scary thing sometimes. especially now.
last night, barack obama was elected to be the 44th president of the united states. it's finally over. after everything that has gone into this election, america has spoken. and they want change. i cannot say that i am surprised at all by obama's election - not only was this victory predicted in the early polls, but i was able to see the widespread support for obama on my own college campus.
although i was not particularly pleased with the outcome of the election, i am discouraged and quite frankly, annoyed, with the way that some people have reacted to obama's victory. i think there is a way of expressing your disappointment with the election in a way that is classy and intelligent sounding. last night, when obama's victory was announced, i watched various facebook statuses change - either celebratory or in clear disagreement with the outcome.
i thought that john mccain's speech last night was one that reflected the true unity of the american people. not that i expected him to express his bitterness, but i was especially impressed by his amount of class. i can't say that i would be able to do that after such a close, intense and emotional election. however, the way some people have reacted is completely ludicrous, in my opinion. i am about to post a few of my favorite facebook statuses - i apologize if one of them is yours. truth is, i would tell you to your face how ridiculous you are being.
- ____________ is no longer proud of be an American.
- ____________ is thinking about which country he wants to move to that does not have an ignorant piece of s*** running the country! at least we have 2 more months of bush.
- ____________ is saying "RIP America". 1776-2008.
- ____________ feels like it's a sad day to be an American.
- ____________ is absolutely ashamed of her country. i hate America.
you get the gist. you've seen these, or talked to people who feel as if the world is sure to end over the next four years. the truth is, we don't know what's coming. a lot of us are scared of change because change can be good or bad. either way, our lives will radically change as a result of this election. regardless of how you feel about the outcome, at least try to be classy - please. over the past eight years with bush, i have really been able to see the lack of respect for the office of the president. there is a way to express disapproval without lashing out with low blows. there is a way to seek the change YOU want without being dramatic and immature. if obama's term is unsuccessful for america - conservatives, you will have another conservative president in four years. but for now, all we can do is sit in waiting for what will happen in america over the next few years. we can be respectful. a good friend of mine said it best: "i congratulate president-elect obama and i ask that republicans not to be angry and democrats not to gloat because we are all americans". we need to unite and support obama at this point - he is our new president. sitting and whining about things getting bad won't contribute positive change in america. and although i don't agree with a lot of obama's political ideas, i will respect him like any other president of the united states deserves to be respected.
