post-election post

nevermind the ignorant commentary in the background. on to the important stuff...

I support Barack Obama. I believe that he is passionate about rebuilding a country in desperate need.

there's nothing wrong with having hope, but some fanatics are wide-eyed, naive and wayyyy too optimistic. I'm not a pessimist, i'm a realist.

In one week, Philadelphia saw two huge celebrations. One for the Phillies and one for Obama. The city watched with excitement as the Phillies won the World Series. Fans cheered in the streets, we had a parade, and everyone was rockin Phillies gear. Then the hype subsided, and we all went back to life as usual. My fear is that Barack's victory is being treated the same way; as an event with a definitive ending and without any significant bearing on our everyday lives thereafter.


People are hanging up their Obama shirts and throwing away their Obama signs. The visibilty of support is fading. i'm not saying we have to walk around showcasing it, but i fear that our energy and dedication to his mission is fading as well. I hate to sound cliche but nothing is over. this really is the beginning. You cant just say okay, he's in office, now we're gonna sit on our asses and let him fix everything by himself. That's absurd. One of the points he drives home is community service. if you truly want to see real change, you need to think about what YOU can do to make that a reality.
It is a common and dangerous idea that Obama will step into office and wave a magic wand and all will be well. The quality of life for many American citizens has been on a steady decline for years, and it will take years to turn that around.



to my brothers and sisters:
this system was founded in racism, and after hundreds of years and minimal progress, it continues to function under racism. everyone who was racist before November 4, 2008 is still a racist today. they did not change overnight. hopefully Obama will address racial hierarchy and inequality in an unprecendented way. but the pressing issues right now are the economy and the wars on terror. a half-Black man in the office is a small step towards a better future. however, he has an entire country to serve, and if you think he is our Black savior, you're in for a disappointment. don't get me wrong. i'm happy to see a person of color in office, and it is a sign of a new time in our country, and the world. but... the system of racial hierarchy remains firmly in place... and, plenty of those people who voted for Obama, did so because they agree with his policies, or because they just disliked McCain more. but that doesn't mean they see us as their equals. many of them still would not want us living next door to them, clutch their bags when we are near, tell Black jokes, and I could go on and on. I read a disturbing article in the City Paper about racist whites who voted for Obama and still called him a nigger. We cant walk around with an overestimated sense of progress.