Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
Martin Luther King, Memphis,TN on April 3rd, 1968, the day before his assassination.
When I think of death and of dying it isn't the fact that there is nothing afterwards that disturbs me. It isn't the fear of whatever pain may accompany the event. It is the idea that a million wonderful things will come that I will not live to see. Now I can say that I have lived to see the fulfillment of the promise upon which our country was founded. I have lived to see a time when all men are allowed the pursuit of happiness.
There are a great many more things I hope to see: a country where protection under the law is not dependent on sexual orientation; a victory over sexism like last night's victory over racism when a woman becomes our president. I'm pretty sure the Martians will land in Times Square after I breath my last, but I have lived to see this and truly, it is enough.
I mourn though, for the men who dared to dream of this day. What a pity that neither Martin Luther King nor Coretta Scott King lived to see this day. But their children did. And that's why they sacrificed what they did. Some time ago in a fit of feminism I reminded my goddaughter that there was nothing a man could do that she couldn't. Her reply? "Who doesn't know that?". And while it saddened me to think that she has no clue about the struggle that came before to grant her this optimism now, I was grateful that she would never know the oppression that had been overcome. Some day, the poor or black or Hispanic or Asian child will never remember a time when a black man couldn't be President. There will come a time when racism will be the exclusive and anachronistic province of provincials and the ignorant (although I believe it already is for the most part).
Somewhere, I hope, in a heaven I don't believe in, on this day there is joy for Medgar Evers, Malcom X, Emmet Till, the murdered voter registration workers, Rosa Parks and the countless millions who came in chains to build a nation which rejected them and their children. On this day I say "thank you" not to God, but to all the brave who came before. This is indeed the promised land of which Martin Luther King spoke. And this day proves it. Perhaps at last, we Americans, black, white, male, female, gay and straight, We the People have overcome.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What Dreams May Come...
I am absolutely giddy so you'll please excuse any bad grammar or improper verb agreement. Today is not a day for my OCD. I write this early on the morning of the most momentous election day ever. I hope I'm writing this on the morning of the day when America really lived up to its potential and elected her first black president!
This isn't a racial thing in the way you may be thinking. I'm not saying that if John McCain were black I would have voted for him just as a thank you for 400 years of oppression. I wouldn't vote for a person based on race anymore than I voted for Obama when I still had Hillary as a choice. I'm rejoicing at the idea that Martin Luther King was right: the day really has come when a man is judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin.
Imagine what this means! That someday, if a qualified person were to appear, we could have an Asian president, a gay president, a Hispanic president, a Jewish president or any combination/permutation thereof. I used to call presidential elections on the number of vowels in a candidate's name-anything too ethnic would never make it. Remember Dukakis? Or Ferraro? Guiliani? Yup, neither does anyone else. And with the notable exceptions of Kennedy and Eisenhower how many names can you recall that didn't sound like something out of the social register? I know "McCain" is an ethnic, Irish name but "Obama" is parsecs further away from middle-America's comfort zone.
Of course this means that we must stop counting on rich white folks to educate their kids properly just so we end up with a Chief Executive who has half a brain (the Bushes tried, I'm sure). We're going to have to start pumping real money into our public schools because maybe, just maybe, the poorest Dominican in Washington Heights really does have the same chance as the richest member of Skull and Bones.
Don't misconstrue: I always love my country. For the past eight years I loved her like the brain damaged trauma victim she's become. But today I feel something more. Pride I think it is. Pride in the ideals that make us different from every other place on the planet. The fact that reason, intellect and common sense beat out fear and cronyism and racism. Our founding fathers were nothing short of gods (albeit with clay feet) and perhaps we have finally lived up to the challenge of E Pluribus Unum-out of many we are one. And this is proved by the fact that we've chosen a person who exemplifies the diversity which makes us great. For the first time our president won't look and sound like a standard bearer for the priviledged few. We've gone and picked a black man with a funny name to represent us all and the world will take note that perhaps the teenage schoolyard bully has finally matured into its power. And to think it only took 232 years!
I've always believed that all people are created equal-I just don't think they stay that way. But this one event will do alot to level out the playing field in terms of how it will inspire a nation and generations of people heretofore marginalized. Today I believe that truly, anything is possible.
That having been said, if McCain wins I'm going to Mexico.
This isn't a racial thing in the way you may be thinking. I'm not saying that if John McCain were black I would have voted for him just as a thank you for 400 years of oppression. I wouldn't vote for a person based on race anymore than I voted for Obama when I still had Hillary as a choice. I'm rejoicing at the idea that Martin Luther King was right: the day really has come when a man is judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin.
Imagine what this means! That someday, if a qualified person were to appear, we could have an Asian president, a gay president, a Hispanic president, a Jewish president or any combination/permutation thereof. I used to call presidential elections on the number of vowels in a candidate's name-anything too ethnic would never make it. Remember Dukakis? Or Ferraro? Guiliani? Yup, neither does anyone else. And with the notable exceptions of Kennedy and Eisenhower how many names can you recall that didn't sound like something out of the social register? I know "McCain" is an ethnic, Irish name but "Obama" is parsecs further away from middle-America's comfort zone.
Of course this means that we must stop counting on rich white folks to educate their kids properly just so we end up with a Chief Executive who has half a brain (the Bushes tried, I'm sure). We're going to have to start pumping real money into our public schools because maybe, just maybe, the poorest Dominican in Washington Heights really does have the same chance as the richest member of Skull and Bones.
Don't misconstrue: I always love my country. For the past eight years I loved her like the brain damaged trauma victim she's become. But today I feel something more. Pride I think it is. Pride in the ideals that make us different from every other place on the planet. The fact that reason, intellect and common sense beat out fear and cronyism and racism. Our founding fathers were nothing short of gods (albeit with clay feet) and perhaps we have finally lived up to the challenge of E Pluribus Unum-out of many we are one. And this is proved by the fact that we've chosen a person who exemplifies the diversity which makes us great. For the first time our president won't look and sound like a standard bearer for the priviledged few. We've gone and picked a black man with a funny name to represent us all and the world will take note that perhaps the teenage schoolyard bully has finally matured into its power. And to think it only took 232 years!
I've always believed that all people are created equal-I just don't think they stay that way. But this one event will do alot to level out the playing field in terms of how it will inspire a nation and generations of people heretofore marginalized. Today I believe that truly, anything is possible.
That having been said, if McCain wins I'm going to Mexico.
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