Obama won! Yes, I am thrilled, but out of respect for my friends who don't like him, there will be no gloating because I will always, always, always like my friends more than I like politics. So yay, he won, let's move on.
I say let's move on because for me, today is about so much more than who won and who lost. Days like today make me so, so thankful to be an American and live in this country.
When the heat and intensity of this election dies down, we are still all Americans. We are all part of the country that is the leader of the free world. That is something to be celebrated.
Countless numbers of American soldiers put their lives on the line to protect our right to choose our leader. Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton dedicated their lives to getting me a right that most people thought I didn't deserve because of my gender. That is something to be celebrated.
When Romney lost, he didn't order his men to go out and assassinate every member of Obama's cabinet. He did not stage a coup. Civil war did not break out. Those are all realities in many countries around the world. Our peace is something to be celebrated.
It is illegal for anyone to prevent you from voting if you are over the age of 18. It is illegal for anyone, including the government, to falsify votes or rig the election. Those are also realities in many countries around the world. The protection of our right, the view that is a fundamental right and not a privilege, is something to be celebrated.
It honestly pains me to have read everything from "Jesus needs to come, and He needs to come now" to "the Constitution is dead" to "I hope someone assassinates Obama" online tonight (and as for the last one, setting aside the fact that I like Obama, I know what it's like for a daughter to grow up without her dad, and to wish that on Malia and Sasha is just sick - I would never wish the indescribable pain that is losing a parent as a child on anyone, including Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan's children). The world will not end just because Obama won. America will still be America when you wake up tomorrow. You will still be living in the most free country in the world.
If you are reading this, and you are Christian and did not vote for Obama, I ask you to please join me in praying for him, anyway. Pray for him and Vice President Biden to be safe and to lead this country to a better place over the next four years. Pray for our Congress to quit focusing on partisan politics and come together to work for the people. Pray for the people who lead this country because, at the end of the day, it's not about red and blue, Democrat and Republican. It's about us, the American people. We all want the same thing, to see this country succeed; we just have different ways of getting there. The people who lead this amazing country deserve our prayers, no matter what letter is written next to their name.
(Also, it is 1:30 am. I have a French test at 8:00, and I have not showered, studied or slept because I'm waiting on Obama's acceptance speech. Tomorrow is going to be interesting.)
I feel sad for my conservative friends who feel like the devil won last night. I'm a Christian too & I voted my beliefs & we won!
ReplyDeleteI was up until 12:30 & totally forgot to wash my face or brush my teeth - I NEVER forget, but I guess I was a little excited :)