For the first time in My life, I'm proud to be an American

I don't care who doesn't like the fact that I didn't use the word "really" because I truly mean that now, tonight, in the wake of the landslide election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America, I am proud to be an American.

My reasons are:

1. I never thought that I would see, especially in My lifetime, a Black President of the United States of America (anywhere but on TV) because My experience of racism in the country where I was born has been worse than anywhere else in the world that I've traveled;
   
   
2. The landslide election of Barack Obama shows that American People have evolved and are not as stupid as the world thinks we are - and that I thought Americans were, too...;
   
   
3. I am stunned that intelligence outweighed racism, sexism and the ridiculous (unsubstantiated) attacks that the GOP campaign made against a good man that had absolutely nothing to do with policies, politics, or his ability to be president; and
   
   
4. I have hope.
   

• For the first time, I feel that this is the greatest country in the world because we have "walked our talk". We have shown the world that the United States of America is truly a country where anyone can make their dreams come true. We have shown the world that we are a melting pot of cultures who can come together to make the world a better place.
  
  
• For the first time in history, we have elected a President who has the ability to understand more than just the wealthy few in our country. He looks like so many of us who are overlooked while, like so many of us, he is from such a diverse and multi-cultural background that he has a better ability to understand and communicate with the real world than any president we've ever had before.
  
  
• For the first time, I think that we have a President who can sit down and negotiate instead of starting out with intentions to intimidate - such bad behavior has become known as The American Way. I think that leaders of other countries will look at Obama and understand that this man is different from every other leader this country has had. Obama knows struggle on many fronts, unlike his predecessors, who began their journeys from places of privilege.
  
  
• Finally, we have a gentleman and a scholar for a President. Obama is polite and respectful, and we haven't seen much of that in American leadership in the past 8 years.
  
  
• Joe Biden is an excellent choice for Vice President because he does have quite a bit of experience, is intelligent and also a self-made man, and can be a barracuda when he needs to be. So, that's "good back up" for any leader.
  

At first, when I saw images of Obama with Abraham Lincoln, I was a little annoyed because people want to believe that Lincoln freed the slaves, which is not true. However, Obama, like Lincoln, is a self-made man born of humble means. Unlike Lincoln, Obama had to deal with the general racism of being a Black male and the "looks" whenever his mother and grandparents went anywhere with him in public. Take it from Me, that sux and what's worse is when the nosy peope have the audacity to ask who you are to your relatives.

I loved the images of Obama with the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. because the dream lives on for all of us!

It's also very nice that we will have 2 handsome Presidential leaders with beautiful families and elegant First and Second Ladies who look fabulous and are fashionable. And so are their mothers!

I'm excited and I don't expect miracles to happen any time soon. It took 8 years for the spawn of Satan to destroy this country, so I expect that it will take quite some time to get things under repair. However, I have a tremendous amount of hope and belief that international relations can and will improve dramatically, which should improve the economic situation worldwide.

No matter what, it's just good to feel good about having hope and believing in possibility again. It's good to be proud of my country and my people - all of you who voted intelligently.

Yes, We Can!

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Addendum 11/5/08

Here is an article on the worldwide reaction to Obama's victory, demonstrating the point that Obama is a symbol of hope for the majority of the world. People feel that because of his life experience, he can relate to them as well as to more of us Americans and the possibility exists for a better world. The world also sees Americans as a greater people for being able to over-come the racism this country has been known for throughout the world.

The world - really, the world (pics) - is celebrating Obama's victory because they believe that now, with him as President, cooperation can occur. The USA won't be a bully any more; we now have a leader who will listen, discuss, and work with them towards a common good.

I've got an "Obamatude" ~ the feeling of hope; love for and belief in the American people, the democratic process, and that America is a land where dreams can come true; belief in possibility for a better country and a better world; belief that the American people can, have and will continue to work together; and the feeling that good things can and will come!