Election Day

First, for those who didn’t see the McCain/Obama contest in this Nostradamus quatrain:

At the war's end:

The Feeble Kept One will strike down the Night

And his Imbecile Queen will rise from the snow

Bedecked in finery and the pelt of a wolf.

The Feeble Kept One- John McCain is one of the oldest men to run for President and there have been concerns about his health. His wife, Cynthia McCain is a very wealthy woman, part of the Anheiser-Bush family.

Night- Barak Obama is the first African-American/Black nominee from one of the major parties. He has also been referred to as the Black Knight, he will bring justice to politics.

Imbecile Queen- Let’s face it, the biggest criticisms of Palin have involved her intelligence and her tendency to play “cute”

rise from the snow-She’s from Alaska

bedecked in finery and the pelt of a wolf- Palin has been criticized for her wardrobe expenses and she is known for her support of the law allowing the hunting of wolves from helicopter.

Some hope this is a bunch of bull. Some hope it’s true. Personally, I’m not as much concerned about McCain vs. Obama as I am about the possibility of Palin as VP. I think her selection showed a lack of judgment on McCain’s part. Yes, it was smart to pick a woman. Yes, it was time to pick a woman. But that woman?

But that’s not what I want to talk about...

What I want to talk about today is how exciting it is to be a part of this election. I was far too young to understand what was happening when the civil rights movement was going on, and being in the north it wasn’t front and center.

The women’s movement was one I remember growing up with. The women in my family were the strongest people I’ve ever known. They held us together and were the ones we could count on to be there, to take care of us. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about either.

Now at 42, my son soon to be part of this world, I am in the midst of a historic moment. The year 2008 will go down in history as either the year that our nation elected a woman to the executive branch of our government or the year that our nation elected a Black man President. One way or the other, there is no denying that it is a year that we will always remember.

American citizens are more excited and more involved in this election than any I’ve ever seen before. We are so committed, on both sides, to see our votes registered to have our voices heard. And honesty, to me it doesn’t matter why. I don’t care if you are casting your vote out of fear or out of conviction. What I care about is that American are finally taking part in the political process instead of sitting off to the side and feeling disenfranchised and hopeless. What disheartens me is that this wave of interest will pass.

One of my favorite movies is The American President. There are great quotes in that movie that sum up the duty of Americans. Characters says that America is Advanced Civics. You’ve gotta want it. In the United States it is not only our right to question our elected officials, it’s our responsibility. I know the same is true of other democratic republics, but it seems that we are the worst at carrying the banner we first raised in the world. We are the great experiment, and experiment that was failing until just recently.

Let’s just hope that this turn around is a 180 and not a 360.