Moonlore - Special Publisher's Essay
Reflections on America's Ideals
"Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood—the virtues that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any- price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Last night I watched Jesse Jackson with tears pouring down his face. Jesse Jackson was on the balcony beside Rev. King when the assassination occurred. This page has a photo taken just moments before the shot rang out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/4/newsid_2453000/2453987.stm
Jesse was a presidential candidate too. Both times, his role helped pave the way for Obama's victory. Watching Obama's acceptance speech, his face went from pride to worry about Obama's welfare back to amazement again — as did mine.
What must he have been thinking? No doubt wishing King was here to see and experience his dream come true. There must also have been a reliving of the pain, loss and fear wrought by that lone bullet. And a bit of wistfulness, a sorrow the nation wasn't ready to accept his candidacy more seriously. A fear of another assassination must have been there too. No doubt there are bigots who are outraged and view their role as God-given orders to "set things right." But most of all, there had to have been a feeling of completion. Of at last.
That is what I am feeling. My father's generation triumphed over the Great Depression and WWII. They had their completion. I've always felt proud of participating in the struggle to overcome the injustices of our society, but I have to admit there has also been a discouragement, a feeling of "is this all? Isn't there more?" Even though it wasn't Hillary, a woman, standing there in triumph, it is still our triumph because all of the various movements worked together knowing we needed each other for any progress at all.
Spike Lee was on this morning. He said that the Republican party needs to move beyond the 1950s where everything was lily-white, traditional family and Christian. They've driven everyone else out (myself included). In that respect, the Republicans engineered this victory too. Everyone else had no other place to go, and so they embraced Obama's vision.
The View is on right now. Even co-host, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a staunch Republican, is deeply moved, ready to stand behind Obama. Co-host Sherry Shepherd is in tears. She was with her son and realized he'd never feel as if he is excluded because of race, at least not to the depth she was. Founder Barbara Walters said she cried this morning when she woke up when she realized how different our country is viewed today and how different we view ourselves.
I cried last night and loved watching the spontaneous celebrations in front of the White House and on the streets with cars stopping and pedestrians joining together to celebrate. I loved seeing the mixed race crowds celebrating together without thought of any difference. I loved hearing that Japan's town of Obama (no relation) was cheering for him too. I loved watching the Kenyan village of Obama's grandmother celebrating, dancing, singing, praying. I thought of his other grandmother who died on Election Eve, unable to wait even one more day. I hope she could still see her beloved grandson's acceptance speech. I could see his sadness as he spoke, knowing she wasn't there and how much he owed to her parenting skills.
I was heartened seeing the strong showing of our nation's youth. For years now, I've wondered, where are they? Why aren't they in the streets protesting these wars like we did? Of course, they didn't face the draft, a civil rights gift from the hippies and anti-draft movement of the Vietnam era. The Chicago park where the youth of today are celebrating their victory is the same park where protesting youth of my generation were beaten by police during the Democratic convention. That was the same year Bobby Kennedy — our visionary candidate — died by an assassin's hand.
I loved knowing that, in this one night, we changed the world's view of Americans and America's ideals. We've somewhat redeemed ourselves with our overwhelming rejection of the Shrub's world dominance plans. I can hardly believe that Obama won the electoral college with 349 votes with two states still not called (Missouri 11 votes, North Carolina, 15 votes). He only needed 270. This landslide will help him enact his visions.
I'm so tired of the Republican hate-mongering. If we're going to keep our country together, we have to be inclusive and work together. I was a staunch Republican until they let the religious right take over. I really resent their continued attempts to control the lives of everyone else. In several states, it's abortion and homosexual marriage. In other states, they've managed to get through laws banning sex toys and gay adoption. If they want to be sex phobic, that's their right, but their rights stop where mine begin. I'm hoping this strong landslide repudiates what they stand for, including this insane war, oil company greed, and Wall Street welfare.
I'm hoping Republicans are forced to retreat, examine how allowing the bigotry of the far right has destroyed them as a viable option, take steps to purge themselves of this monstrosity and reach back toward the Goldwater Republican model. Before Falwell and Robertson melded their followers into an unthinking group of obedient voters, there truly was two parties to pick between. In that old Republican party, The Shrub would never have become president and no member of Congress would have marched in lock step into the disasters his administration imposed upon us.
Last night, my grandson celebrated with me but he was amazed to hear how it used to be. To him, Obama was a candidate like all others. I treasure that more than anything. It felt good to be able to point out to him Jesse Jackson and John Lewis as people who were there with King and helped him lead while they were on television enjoying the present moment. I hope this helps him realize this isn't distant history. It is history he watched as it happened.
That is the promise of the future and the truest sign that we did it.
Yes, we did.
November 5th, 2008
By Loretta Kemsley
Publisher/President
Women Artists and Writers International
Writer, Editor and Editorial Coach
Loretta Kemsley's Personal Portfolio: Women's Writings
http://lores.lair.moondance.org/