Si Se Puede!!!Yes We Can! a declaration of change in America.Not just a slogan proclaiming one's prolific ability to change the country individually.As a Christian, I know part of this slogan is definitely expressed knowing we can only change America through the Spirit of God.Many people acknowledge that there MUST be a change in America!America has been on a long journey with these candidates , and voted, who they thought best would usher, or facilitate change!Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama.Who won the election by a record number of votes, a land slide.The nations FIRST African American President.To Michelle, the FIRST sista to be the first non-staff worker in the white house,instead, the First Lady!It will be here who decided the colors of the decor, and not putting it up.Requesting of a maid, and not being one!When the founding fathers built the White House, I know they did not intend on a slave or a descendant of one to control it one day.It gives me chicken skin, goose bumps, or whatever you call it to think about it.I think about the Dred Scott Decision, that gave African Americans NO rights in this country!The part of our constitution that permitted slavery.I think about Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman,Mandela,Our great Grandparents, most of them immigrants to this country.Coming in through Ellis Island, expecting change, with hope, and receiving less than humane treatment.I think of our bloodline of women, with children in fields , in fields and plantations not far from the White House!It was with great pride, and dumbfoundness, we watched the results.It was clear early on, to me, who the president was going to be.I thank God for my children's enthusiasm, not for a "Black" president, but for the process, and the fact that he is African American does not hurt.President Elect Obama is a man of integrity, humble, eloquent in speech, and has managed to unit the nation, and ignite the nation for change.From the VERY old to the VERY young!(My 8 year old daughter just woke up 6:20 AM, and said,"Mommy?!" "yes." I said."Obama is president."I said ,"I know."and she said nothing else).
I think about the men in this country, the African American men.Who has in one election night seen the standard raised.My Brother/cousin inlaw who called at 2:oo in the morning expressing his pride, and how he couldn't sleep.Many shared this sentiment.My husband, who could not get live feed, expressed the overwhelming emotions that are coming from the many people in Iraq.Some are just plain ignorant, to be expected.And most soldiers, as trained as they are to not let emotions get in the way, are crying as they walk to the phones to speak to their loved ones back in the STATES.This happening among all races, and genders Vannell says.Some of you may never know what this means for the African American community, as he ushers in hope and change, I know this will be monumental for our country as well.A movement, this time a positive one!I am so proud of our country right now!Many have gotten in trouble for saying that, but as a wife of a soldier, and an African American women, I have not always been proud.This morning, I am proud, in awe of his humbleness, and encouraged by change!America he did what you could , and the polls spoke for themselves.WOW....record breaking landslide!
The crowds...wow!I tried to describe the mood, and the crowds to my husband.I did it no justice.It was like new years eve across the nation.It was like a 911 event happened in America....only it was a good thing.All nationalities, races, genders, united, chanting, crying,screaming, some just staring into space, in support of our nation.Anticipating change.I have NEVER seen an election being covered like this one.Usually, it's covered and good night.I saw reporters trying to remain unbiased.As they fight back tears of joy!What a historical moment in history!Jessie Jackson, regardless of how he feels about President Elect Obama, overcome with emotions.Al Sharpton, to name a few.Oprah Winfrey in the crowd, overcome with pride and joy.Later I read that she said,"America did the right thing!"I don't stay up till three in the morning, after having worked all day, knowing I have to get up at 5, for anything.This was more than worth it.
(My 11 just woke up, sleepy eyed she walked over,"Mommy?Who won?.""Obama", I said as she walked away quietly.As she closed the door tot he bathroom, she said."YESssssss!")
This Morning I have nothing witty to discuss, maybe later.But now I am almost at a loss of words.Filled with emotions as I write this blog.Instead, I express a word of prayer for our President Elect and family.
Lord,
I pray for President Elect Obama, and family.As we in this country have elected him, and he takes his place in the highest office in the country, some say the world.I pray for wisdom and guidance.I pray he makes decisions with you and what's right in mind.I pray that no hurt, harm or danger will come near him, or those connected to him.I pray he will not be a victim of an assassination or anything that will hinder his goals as president.I pray that he surrounds himself with others that will help him lead this country with humility, loyalty, truthfulness, and love for ALL Americans.I pray that he continue to be a catalyst for change .I pray for his daughter's safety, and their health.I pray for Michelle, as the First Lady.Be with them all, as the pressure is there, but I think he well well able to do the job at hand.I pray this election unites our country, and that even those that didn't vote for him, will support him.So Lord, as much as we are proud, and awed, I turn to you this morning!Guide them!Keep them!and Provide for Them!
In Jesus's Name Amen
(Below is the speech Obama made last night,if you didn't see it, watch it online.It was awesome to see and hear.)
Obama:
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. 
Watch Obama's speech in its entirety »
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
1 comment:
PROFOUND!!!
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