I am a primary care physician. I sent this email to all of my patients today.
I was overcome with emotion yesterday watching the St Louis Rally with Obama yesterday on television - and wanted to share it with my patients and with dailykos.
I am fairly new here - and cannot seem to figure out how to insert photos into a diary.
I think we have all seen the one I am talking about - the photo from the St Louis Arch with the 100,000 people in it.
I took a trip there with my family in August 2001 before the true madness began. I love architecture - and second to the Arch itself - the courthouse is just an amazing site to behold. It is the white building with the dome on top at the back of the crowd.
When I am looking at old buildings, I ponder about what they have seen in their lifespans. It is a method to mix history and architecture. And the view of that courthouse from the top of the Arch is truly awe-inspiring.
When I did more research on the courthouse later, I learned that the single defining moment in its history is rather notorious. It was the actual site of the Dred Scott trial. That building has lived through some bad times.
America, in the late 1850s was living through one of its haywire moments, not unlike the last 10 years. The Dred Scott trial and the later Supreme Court decision was one of the leading indicators of just how haywire things were. FWIW, Governor Palin, here is the link for information about the case - since we all know Roe vs Wade is the only Supreme Court decision you feel comfortable talking about - http://en.wikipedia.org/...
So, yesterday, as I was watching that rally on CNN, I was absolutely overcome by emotion. There, standing in front of the courthouse where that horrible decision was made, stood 100,000 Americans being led by a black man who will be America's next president.
On this weekend, we have unfortunately witnessed the following:
The Vice-Presidential Candidate for the Republican Party announcing that she was proud to be visiting the "Pro-American" parts of the country.
A Republican Congresswoman openly demanding an investigation of liberal and progressive members of Congress for Anti-Americanism.
BUT:
There in St Louis, was a throng of 100,000 Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Gays, Straights, Young, Old - screaming out to heaven YES WE CAN - YES WE CAN. Being led by a black man - on the very site of one of the most notoriously immoral and racist legal decisions in all of American History.
Could it be that the St Louis Courthouse - which witnessed the horrendous inequity doled out to black Americans - is now finally witnessing a critical step of America's redemption from her original sin, slavery ???
I would very much like to think so. I hope I am not alone.
My fellow Americans - this is a time to rejoice. America has lived through one of its haywire periods in the last 10 years. And the consequences are coming. However, I take courage - our ancestors have lived through this before - and this republic has come out of it much much stronger. We will this time. I thank God every day for my country - no one can tell me I am not an American.
May God bless each and every one of you in this critical election season.