This is my first diary. I just wanted to share my feelings, and theory, as to how we finally got to this point in our history and reclaimed our country.
I grew up in the south in the 50s. I still remember the "whites only" signs of public restrooms and drinking fountains. When I started college in 1965 in a small Arkansas town, the town skating ring still had a "whites only" sign above the door. By the next year the sign was gone.
In the 60's I became inspired by the idealism that many of us had for a better world and a vision for realizing the potential of America and what it could be. I suffered through the Vietnam war, the assassination of JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King. I suffered through the Nixon years, clinging to that thread of hope, optimism and idealism. We had our dreams beaten down again and again until we finally gave up on them and moved on with our day to day lives. Not daring to allow the dreams to come to the surface for fear of being disappointed yet again. The culmination of the death of our dreams has been the living nightmare of the past 8 years.
Then there was Obama, a breath of fresh air that stirred those faint dreams still way back there in our subconscious. Should we dare dare to dream and hope one more time and brace ourselves for yet another bitter disappointment? Now our dreams have finally been realized. We are on the verge of a new America. An America of the people and for the people. The America we dreamed of 40 years ago.
I have a theory as to how this finally happened. We have survived the past 40 years as the 49 percent. Dominated by the 51 percent. There weren't quite enough of us who saw the vision to make it a reality. We could never quite overcome the slight majority rule. Then in 2000 something happened. It was no longer just us trying to change our country for the better. This time our children were old enough to vote. They were inspired by hope, dreams and a vision of a better America. Our children stood, and voted with us and together we reclaimed our country, and our long abandoned dreams in the process. We have taught them well. We will never be the 49% disillusioned dreamers again.
I want to thank the new generation of voters who stood with us old farts and 60s dreamers and made this day possible. You are the future. America will soon be in your hands and I am confident that you will make it a better place and keep the dream alive. Teach your children well.