Epiphany at the polls
Benjamin Chesna
Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: Opinions
Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent, or what have you, if you believe in America, then you must be impressed with the recent presidential election. History was bound to be made with either the first woman vice president or the first African American president, yet the magnitude of the decision never hit me until about midnight this past Tuesday.
Obviously someone had to win, someone had to replace G. W., but, because of this seemingly never-ending eight years, his presidency has dragged on, and I have been lulled into thinking this downward spiral would simply result in a chasm or a hole of some kind. The "change" t-shirts, the "hope" posters, and the ridiculous amount of media coverage never really hit home. Let me make an analogy some of you may be able to relate to; imagine you are a senior in high school, researching, visiting, talking about, and being absorbed in college preparation. You apply, you get into a bunch of places, and you pick one and send in your deposit slip. All this time you never really understand the results of your decision, never understand that you will not sleep in your bed every night, eat dinner with your family, or kick it with your friends constantly. You end up in early September with this "home-sickness," but really it's just you being thrust into reality, for good or for bad.
This election was like that for me. Tuesday I just pondered, sat with a few friends and a couple beverages, and just let the wave of reality wash over me. Something happened, and maybe I still do not fully grasp it, but something definitely went down. Listening to Obama's speech and hearing the commentary, I was inspired. I was inspired by this over-cliché, ridiculous, over used word (I cannot believe I am even saying this): change. Not like we have just entered the Promised Land and the wine will flow like salmon, but things will be different. Our nation's image will be different. Obama is not Kennedy, or Lincoln, or FDR, or anyone except himself, and we really should not put him on this pedestal of fanaticism I see some people doing. I want to use the President elect's own words to describe what should be etched into everyone's minds now that the votes have been counted: This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. We now have the opportunity to change things and make our lives better, and it may not come all at once, but I was inspired.
Obviously someone had to win, someone had to replace G. W., but, because of this seemingly never-ending eight years, his presidency has dragged on, and I have been lulled into thinking this downward spiral would simply result in a chasm or a hole of some kind. The "change" t-shirts, the "hope" posters, and the ridiculous amount of media coverage never really hit home. Let me make an analogy some of you may be able to relate to; imagine you are a senior in high school, researching, visiting, talking about, and being absorbed in college preparation. You apply, you get into a bunch of places, and you pick one and send in your deposit slip. All this time you never really understand the results of your decision, never understand that you will not sleep in your bed every night, eat dinner with your family, or kick it with your friends constantly. You end up in early September with this "home-sickness," but really it's just you being thrust into reality, for good or for bad.
This election was like that for me. Tuesday I just pondered, sat with a few friends and a couple beverages, and just let the wave of reality wash over me. Something happened, and maybe I still do not fully grasp it, but something definitely went down. Listening to Obama's speech and hearing the commentary, I was inspired. I was inspired by this over-cliché, ridiculous, over used word (I cannot believe I am even saying this): change. Not like we have just entered the Promised Land and the wine will flow like salmon, but things will be different. Our nation's image will be different. Obama is not Kennedy, or Lincoln, or FDR, or anyone except himself, and we really should not put him on this pedestal of fanaticism I see some people doing. I want to use the President elect's own words to describe what should be etched into everyone's minds now that the votes have been counted: This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. We now have the opportunity to change things and make our lives better, and it may not come all at once, but I was inspired.
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