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I was talking to an older lady outside the polls earlier (she's black, I'm white), and she said, with less rancor than I exhibit on a good day, "I've been voting for white people all my life".
And I thought, "darned right".
Now, early on I was not enthusiastic about having a black candidate. I thought, great - a built-in narrative for the steal, and that was before I'd ever heard the term "Bradley Effect". Moreover, I've not been too happy that the election seems to have turned into a referendum on civil rights and race relations instead of on Nazi war criminals. Talk about changing the subject.
However, as the election season has evolved, I've come more to terms with what's possible at the moment, and, having witnessed how the enemy's divisiveness is rooted in abhorrent, regressive social attitudes, and how their disenfranchisement schemes are rooted in Jim Crow, and having observed the unique and exemplary nature of Obama's campaign, I have re-evaluated.
When Black citizens where disenfranchised in Cleveland, or wherever, I was outraged, but moreso on behalf of the nation and world as a whole. But having seen the impact of Obama's candidacy, I am proud to say to my fellow citizens, "I am 100% behind you, and I rejoice in your achievement".
It's a subtle but important shift, though I don't know that I've done justice with my description. I'm just thinking of that loyal voting constituency you described and that lady I met today, and thinking, "you're right... it's about time... darned right I will... yes we can".
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