My brother Thanh, whom my mother adopted during the Vietnam War, has been in the Navy for over a decade. My Mom, who has been a peace activist her entire life, was devastated when he was sent to Iraq. The irony that her son, whom she rescued from the grips of one unjust war, was now at risk of being lost in another unjust war, was too painful to bear. But now he's home. I haven't been able to see him yet, as he lives in California, but just the knowledge that he's safe and sound means everything to us.
The overwhelming mess we are in right now, in terms of our economy, health care, and the war in Iraq, is enough to suck all of the hope out of me at times. I can't help but think that all we do in this country is repeat the same mistakes over and over again. We have brief respites of peace and prosperity, but then the pendulum swings back, and we seem once again mired in war and corruption.
But hope is the last thing to die. And while this primary season has been long and tiresome, it has also given me hope, the kind of hope that I think is more than a flash in the pan. Millions of Americans now have a higher standard for what we expect in a President. Divisive tactics and mediocre intelligence are no longer enough. Now we expect honesty, courage, and brilliance from our leaders.
I have been watching (and voting for) amazing and inspirational MoveOn ads for the last hour. It takes a unique person to inspire that level of passion and creativity. Isn't it wonderful to finally be FOR something?