Now that Hillary Rodham Clinton has withdrawn from the race, there is all kinds of talk about whether or not she will be Obama's running mate, and discussions of how voters will view the battle between McCain and Obama. There is no doubt that this has been one of the most exciting primary elections in history because, we as a people have stared down some of the most frightening ghosts from our past.
Racism and sexism have been some of the ugliest parts of our shared history, and having a woman and an African-American come this close to the highest office in the land (and probably the most powerful position in the world) is astonishing. The Constitution written by the founding generation would not have allowed Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama to even vote, much less run so successfully for public office.
As someone who has devoted a good part of my life to trying to understand our history and its meaning, it was all too clear, to paraphrase Galileo, that these two candidates were standing on the shoulders of giants. The spirits of Abigail Adams, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Susan B. Anthony, W.E.B. DuBois, Alice Paul, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedy and so many others are smiling down on our nation right now. So many Americans have been a part of the struggle to fulfill the belief, penned by Jefferson in 1776, that we are all created equal. Our nation was founded upon this ideal over 230 years ago, and for so long, we have struggled to live up to it. So much has happened so quickly in this presidential race that I don't think we have really absorbed the significance of the events that have come to pass in the last year and a half.
There has been a lot of commentary out there about where this campaign will go from here, but not nearly enough time taken to really meditate on how we have gotten here.
Of course, there have been some very thoughtful comments, discussions, and analyses of what we have seen come to pass - have you read or heard any? Have you had conversations or insights from friends, parents, or relatives? Perhaps some original thoughts of your own?
Please share them with us.
Right now I'm going to read Seeing Bobby Kennedy in Barack Obama.
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4 comments:
I think the United States has made a made a big stride toward becoming a more equal nation with a woman and an african american coming so close to achieving the highest job title in the U.S. and possibly the world. They have opened the eyes of many people to what many other great figures of the past have tried to show the public the past 230 or so years: that under the constitution, all men are created equal. Even though there is still much dispute over the fact there could be a woman or african american President and many people still disagree, it is a large step towards equality of all individuals in the U.S. -Tucker Rockwell
Stephen Anderson Current Events:
The biggest problem in this presidential race is that voters were more interested in the sex and race of the candidate rather than their polticical philosophys.What people fail to realize is that its what a candidate will do in office, not how they look, that determines their worth to this nation. The mainstream media along with some serious help from Hillary Clinton were almost successful into making this race for the Democratic nomination soley about race and sex. Therefore, Im overjoyed at Obamas victory, because it only goes to show that class and dignity can overcome even the most petty and devious "attack" stratagies that the neo-cons and Clinton can come up with. This country has witnessed the downfall of a once respected woman as she showed her true character; a selfish, stubborn, and vindictive old woman. Democracy is about change, and now i have "change I can believe in" as Barack Obama begins the race to the finish.
i feel like america has come to the point where we need a change. so many things are going wrong lately, that we need hope in our country. however, in the times that our country is going through...it almost seems dangerous to make such a dramatic change in a tough situation. im very excited that obama has won the democratic support. i think it would be to his benefit to allow hillary to become part of his ticket. this would broaden his support group to the supporters of hillary who may feel like they have no one to vote for now. hillary could bring great things to america and their forces combined could be just what this country needs. im looking foward to voting in november
kelly macdonald
current events
if you look back in history you will see that blacks were not treated equal and completely overlooked.. but now things have changed and its about time.. the african american race has gained eqaulity and now an african american is the top presdidential candidate.. the same can be said about hilary and womens power over the years and how their voices are finally being heard... but it seems that alll we overlook what they are proposing to bring to the white house but how they look and what gender they are.. they both havemade huge steps in history but with obama winning the bid i think he will become our next president and it willbe a very good change in us history and a very great one at that because what he says he willl accomplish will change the country all in goodways!
kyle ehlers
p.5
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