Let me tell you why I am an Obama supporter. I am a forty-something African-American man. My career has been in law enforcement and I currently overseas working for my country. I support Barack Obama, not because we share a similar pigmentation and heritage, not because I believe that he is a ‘messiah’ as suggested by those of a particular political leaning. It’s not even because I was born and raised in Chicago. My answer is a lot simpler and closer to many Americans.
I believe in the American dream. Let me repeat, I believe in the American dream! That dream that we talk about and most of us share to some degree or another. I also have two daughters whom I love more than anything. The old adage is that America is the country where any kid, if they work hard can grow up to be president. Well, that was never really true for me, my family or people who looked like me. It was not true for other ethnic minorities who comprise a significant portion of this melting pot that is the United States of America. It wasn’t true for women. I am relatively bright. I have worked hard. I have been successful in the workplace. But all of that made no difference as until this cycle very few of us thought that America had come far enough that I could ever have had the opportunity to be tapped as the standard bearer of this country, my country.
As parents, our job is to instill certain lessons within our children as a means to set the foundation for their growth into productive, successful members of our society. We teach about fairness. We teach about how to treat your fellow man (or woman). We teach about the value of family. We teach about the value of education. We teach about the value of a work ethic and what it takes to make it successfully in this world.
I was raised, like many other minorities, to accept that I would have to work twice as hard to get half as far as similarly situated whites. It wasn’t instilled in a sense of denial or anger, simply a statement of fact. I would confront that lesson many times over my years on this earth. It did not make me bitter, but sad and disappointed. But I was still hopeful that progress, no matter how small, was being made. My dream may be deferred, much as my parents and theirs before them were, in the hope that the next generations, my children and their children, may reap the benefit of that progress and be accepted a full partners in this American experiment.
As a result of this election cycle, no matter the outcome, I can teach my children something different. I can look them in the eye without lying and tell them that they are full partners here in the United States of America. I can tell my beautiful brown girls that if they work hard in school and in the workplace, if they contribute to their fellow man and country that they can not only bleed and die for their country, they can also lead their country. I can tell them that they are fully invested in the collective that is the American dream. I never thought that this could happen in my lifetime.
So to the all those who are fearful, don’t be. This country will survive regardless of the outcome Tuesday, it always has. But it will emerge stronger for this contest. If there is no President Obama, it will only be a matter of time until it happens. But most importantly, every child in America will now know that they are included that our American Dream.
In the meantime, go vote (STFIL). Take someone to the polls. Make telephone calls. Knock on doors. I wish I were there with you, but I am sort of busy in Afghanistan right now. But I will be sitting by myself on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning here), and I will probably be overcome with emotion no matter the outcome, because I can tell my children the truth now.
UPDATE:
Wow, first diary and on the rec list. Thank you all. Yes, I did vote, I sent my ballot in a couple of weeks ago, let's turn Nevada blue! I am keeping my head down and plan to come home after the New Year, I will just miss January 20, so you all have a great time and party it up for me in DC.
Thanks from the bottom of my heart. You all are awesome!