I've never been one for 'queen and country' kinds of feelings. For as far back as I can remember I didn't say the pledge of allegiance when I was in school or anywhere else since then that it might have come up. Sure I stand up, and keep silent out of respect, but that's about it. I've never sought to own the flag of my country, or any other symbols that one displays to show their patriotism. All in all I haven't had much good to say about the country I was born to. Are there worse places to be, certainly... but not once in my 34 years do I ever recall thinking that I was proud to be a citizen of the US.
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 for the first time in my life, I can honestly say that I am proud of the country I call home. That day saw a lot of setbacks. A great many people had their personal liberties destroyed due to hate and fear because after hundreds of years of a government that sought to separate church and state we can't seem to keep from passing faith-based laws.
Even though more states within our union have put another nail in the coffin of personal freedoms. I still feel pride. Not because we as a people elected a man who has held to his path from the day he started his campaign, not because my home state broke from the tradition of being a predominately Republican state, and not even that dispute my distract siding with McCain it did so by only 1,622 votes (just about 1%). I am proud because just 145 years after the first steps were taken to end slavery we have elected into the highest office in our land a man that were he to have been alive in this country those 145 years ago would likely have been thought of as only property. I am proud because 43 years after President Johnson signed an act that made it illegal to block black people from voting, a man who would not have been allowed to vote was himself voted in as the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. I am proud because on that day, that 4th day of November, 2008 we as a majority did not vote in a 'black man', or a 'religious man', we voted in a man... regardless of race, religion, or creed, we came together and voted in a man with whom we now rest our hopes and dreams. The dreams of one day seeing these United States of America become the great land it has always thought itself to be.
He can't do it alone but then he didn't get where he is now alone. We all must become the change we want to see, the change we need to see in this land and in this world. We've already shown that we as a people in the US want this change to happen. Senator Obama, become President-Elect Obama, could not be where he is now if we didn't. Now, more than ever before, we need to be a single people with a single goal. That goal is to make this country a great one and one all of its people can live in as equals no matter who they pray to, if they pray at all, or who they say I love you to, if they find themselves lucky enough to have someone whom to say it to, and no matter how far they've come in life because we all have so much farther to go.
I am proud of you America... I am proud of us all.
