Today is apparently a day for me to write opinionated posts because I have one more for you.
I’m not as excited as most about the inaguration today. I won’t even be watching it. (This could also be because we don’t have any kind of broadcasting on our tv.)
I understand that there are some people who are overjoyed just because George W. Bush is gone. I will admit I am happy I won’t have to cringe over his grammar any longer.
But the overwhelming majority of people seem to be calling this inaguration “historic” because Obama is black. I may sound a tad conceited when I say this, but I have never had any problems with judging people because of the color of their skin or the country of origin. The people making a fuss over the color of his skin are likely people who would claim the same. They say they voted for him because of who he was, not because he was black, but if they don’t care about his skin color why do they keep bringing it up over and over?
I think I am going to hear two opinions in the comments: Many of you will reply and say that you celebrate his skin color because it indicates the enormous amount of progress that the United States has made since the era of civil rights. Others will say that having a black President proves that anyone can be President.
I’ve heard many references to the color of his skin, but I haven’t heard much about his credentials and what he will do for the country (except coming from Obama’s own mouth).
Martin Luther King said:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
If we turn Obama into “The Black President” and judge all his successes and failures as those of the black man who once ruled the free world, are we really living “The Dream”?
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January 20, 2009 at 12:14 pm
JaymeLyn
i agree with you, that Obama should not be made into “The Black President.” when i talk about the president-elect (now president) i try my very best not to refer to him in any way by the color of his skin. i am, however, excited to see Obama take office. i have many issues with the former GOP, and i have faith that Obama will make good on his promises.
January 20, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Kasia Fink
Maybe it will cheer you up to know that the Canadian media doesn’t focus on his skin color but on what he will do to resurrect the United States. I’m betting Europe is similar – they’re already used to so much diversity in office.
January 20, 2009 at 12:19 pm
D
I read Weddingbee and came across your blog…this is the first time I’m commenting because this post really spoke to me!
I too feel the exact same way that you do. I do not take race into account at all. It has no bearing on my vote whatsoever. Zero. I find it a little concerning that there has been such a huge focus on the color of Obama’s skin and not as much focus on what policies he brings to the table. I do not care about a person’s skin color at all…even if President Obama’s election DOES show that blacks have come a long way, it doesn’t matter to me because to me, those two things don’t mix.
IMO, all of this focus takes away from the feeling of possibility and hope that an inauguration usually brings. And quite frankly I find it a little offensive that people are treating Obama like he’s ‘the Chosen One’ (and I can say that many of these people who do this do it because of the color of his skin.)
I have seen many people interviewed on television who were asked why they voted for Obama. Responses I’ve heard?…”Because he’s black”….”Because he’s not George Bush”…”Because his Presidency would make history.” All of those responses to me show ignorance and they completely bypass the things that should be taken into consideration when a President is elected.
This gets me so angry. I have no problem when someone bases their vote on policies and what the candidate says they can do for the US…but something like race? It doesn’t have a place in voting.
January 20, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Ashley
I think you have your point, but I think it is silly of us to think that the media isn’t going to have a field day with anything that is a “first”. They look for any angle they can to expolit, and Obama’s race is just that angle. Remember, if it is “historic” than we all have to watch it, and that means ratings for them!! It would be the same thing had it been Hillary (she’s a woman!) and it would have been something similar had it been McCain/Palin (he (I think) would have been the oldest, and she the first woman VP). When there is only 44 of something, you can find a “first” pretty easily, and they sure will.
In the same respect, I think it would be inappropriate to not acknowledge that him being President does indicate that our country has come a LONG way… it wasn’t too long ago that someone like Barak Obama would have had to sit at the back of the bus and couldn’t have eaten at the same places as you and I, him being President would have been a joke. That now his is President, says a lot about us as a nation. Just because you and I may not judge him based on his country of origin, doesn’t mean a lot of other people (both past and present) do. It is just nice to know that enough of us have gotten past that to elect him President.
I think unfortunately, the media has really latched on to the “historic” stuff and not focused on his policies as much as they should have. To imply that many people who voted for him did so only because of his race and not because they believe strongly in what he has to say and where he wants to take this country, is somewhat of a leap. Are there people who did so? Of course. In the same light, there are likely people out there who voted for McCain only because they wouldn’t support a black President. Hopefully for ALL of us, the majority of us voted with our thoughts, morals, ideas and goals in mind and not just with our eyes.
We all have to find the balance between celebrating the fact that he is the first African American President and the fact that he is our President, our leader and hopefully the one to get us through a seriously trying time in our nations history.
Kennedy was once celebrated as the first Catholic President, but he is judged by history for his actions, not his religion. Let’s hope Obama will be looked at similarily. I think when that is the case, we will finally be living “The Dream.”
It seems almost all great changes generally come in steps, and Obama’s election was one of the steps to get us all to the ultimate goal of true equality, and that does deserve some level of celebration. You celebrated your engagement before you were actually married right? I think all the steps that get us to the things we aspire to be (both personally and as a nation) deserve recognition and appreciation. This should be no exception.
January 20, 2009 at 12:38 pm
brooke @ claremont road
I agree that the color of his skin should not be his defining factor, but the reality is that he is the first African-American President and we live in a country where this fact would have been inconceivable 100 years ago (heck, even 20 years ago). While you and I may not judge people because of the color of their skin, there are many in this country who do, unfortunately, and I think a lot of people had to overlook their prejudices in order to see who he is as a politician and a person, to see the issues instead of the skin colors; the fact that he is now our President shows how very far people in this country have come.
I voted for him because I believe in him and what he stands for and the positive change I think he is capable of bringing to this country, not because of the color of his skin… but that does not make me any less thrilled to see this historic moment taking place. I think he will always be known as “the first African-American President” because it is a huge leap for a country that practiced segregation in such recent past, but I think (and hope) he will do much more for our country that he will also be known for.
I also heard an interesting statement the other day — I am paraphrasing, but it was basically asking why, as a person who is half white and was mostly raised by a white mother and white grandparents, does he identify more with the African-American community? I think the answer there is that WE as a nation automatically identify him with that community, and regardless of who raised him, on the surface he has always been seen as an African-American man, and therefore that is a large part of who he is. (Again, I’m not saying you or I feel that way, but I believe that is the general consensus of our country.) We see the half black part more than the half white part, because that is the part that places him in a minority group, and placing people in minority groups is an undeniable characteristic of this country’s past.
January 20, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Geek in Heels
Thank you for writing exactly how I’ve been feeling!
January 20, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Paula
I voted for Obama because he was the best candidate for the job. Period.
I feel like the country needed hope, they needed a change, and they needed someone aspirational, as well as inspirational. We aspire for better times, for more jobs, for continuing our role as a world leader.
Whether Obama had the resume for the job, I don’t know. But as the country “interviewed” him (in debates, in his speeches, etc), I saw that this was a person with the kind of moral fiber I wanted in the position.
Sometimes when you interview people, you hire them for them for the drive, the charisma, the smarts, the promise they hold. I know I’ve been hired for jobs where I didn’t have quite the skill set some other people did, but when I got the job, I was so excited and so determined that I exceeded expectations. I see that in Obama. I pray that he can live up to our expectations. He does have a lot ahead of him.
January 20, 2009 at 12:49 pm
kimberlymichelle
I will say openly and honestly that this man, Barack Obama, caused me to change my party affiliation (I’m now Independent) and gave me hope that the service I devote to our country is not in vain. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin, but the content of his character. I was moved by his speech in 2004 at the DNC (again, being a member of the other party), and began to look closer at who this man was and what potential he might bring our country. His “credentials” are astounding, and I would have been honored to sit at a dinner party with him before he was ever bestowed with a public office, despite that he only went to Harvard Law (inside jab from my Yale friends). I voted for a man I believed in completely.
As to the significance of the color of his skin… it cannot be overlooked. You may think it’s trivial since you do not see the world in two colors, but the fact is that our world is far from a united racial rainbow. I used to think the same way as you currently do, but then I was able to experience what real racial discrimination has created in this country and I was disgusted and moved to action. Our country is not segregated by choice, but by purpose, and the fact that a person has risen from a system that is designed to shut him down is a triumph of unmeasurable nature.
I’d ask you to reframe this moment in history as an “Olympic moment.” Jesse Owens will be remembered as the greatest Olympian ever to compete — not only because of his amazing success but because of the fact that he triumphed under a spotlight of racial intolerance. That’s why this moment is not great, but legendary.
January 20, 2009 at 1:05 pm
mhb
I have to preface this by saying I live in Chicago, about six blocks from the Obamas’ home, so I’m in the thick of Obama country.
However: I supported the Obama campaign and voted for him because I thought he’s the right man for the job. I think his skills in organizing, in communicating with people of disparate views, and – let’s face it – of masterful oratory are some of what we need in a leader. I think he will represent our country well on the international stage and will effectively tackle some of the problems we have here at home. I also think that we as Americans have a duty to criticize when we think he’s doing something wrong. I don’t think he’s perfect. Nobody is.
I couldn’t help feeling that the media, with all their blathering on about historicalness, are perhaps ashamed. It’s embarrassing that it’s taken this long for a person of color to become President. It’s embarrassing that he was the only black Senator (and has been replaced by an embarrassing man who got the job only because he is black, which is insulting to the voters of Illinois). It’s embarrassing, also, that no woman has held the position.
We as a country (and especially we in Chicago, and in Illinois) have a long way to go still, and I get uncomfortable with all the talk of “the dream fulfilled” because the dream hasn’t been fulfilled. We can’t stop working for equality, and I’m a bit worried the mainstream media wants us to. Racism isn’t over. I truly believe that it’s waning, but it’s not over.
And you’re right. A next step to equality will be dropping the constant reference to his skin color and just talking about him like he’s in charge. I have hopes that this will happen soon.
January 20, 2009 at 1:08 pm
T.
I’m a bit disappointed in your sentiment….it feels like a failure to honor history, in a way. I don’t think that Obama will be “the black President” for his entire term of office, but wouldn’t it be strange not to note that, the day after we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, a generation after Obama’s parents couldn’t have married because of their races, he takes office in a building built by slaves? I think there’s a difference between evaluating someone based on the color of their skin and noting the significance of this moment. Hopefully there are lots of other such moments, for lots of other such characteristics, and I hope we recognize the importance of all of them. Anyway, thanks for making me think it over–writing this out has helped me to articulate to myself why I think today’s inauguration is so important, and hopefully the next four years win you over more than today does. =)
January 20, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Allison
Amen Jenna! I couldn’t have said it better!
January 20, 2009 at 1:08 pm
amanda
He’s a politician. Just like the rest of them.
January 20, 2009 at 1:17 pm
erin @ blue-eyed bride
i completely agree with you. i wanted to mention this today in my post, but knew i’d get enough for getting religious and didn’t want to bring up race. i completely agree though. everything about today’s inauguration seemed to be a continuation of yesterday’s MLK celebrations. and i feel a little left out of this inauguration because i’m not African American. that may sound silly. i’m with you and didn’t ever think of him as a “black man.” he was an educated, smart, senator from Illinois. now he is our president and i hope that he succeeds, but that the president succeeds. not the first black president.
January 20, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Katherine (aka sparkles)
For me, I am just excited to have a new generation of politics represented.
Having a president who is *educated* (He has an understanding of laws and governance), having a president who has a great background in things that are not just about the U.S. I think it is so important to be a leader with experience- but experience does not just include professional but worldly, Obama has lived through so many experiences many of us will never have had. He lost his mother to cancer and thus has experience with the frustrations of health care. He is a family man of young children, and thus understands current concerns facing children education, safety, and the challenges this world that will affect their future. It isn’t an forethought- it is constantly on his mind as he looks at what he hopes to achieve not just for his own kids, but for society as a whole. His character was built from a background no other politician has had to face or endure. So I hope it further raises his awareness to issues politicians typically learn through statistics, studying, or interviewing.
I was also tired of a president who lived in a “bubble”…
I don’t expect changes everyday. But I expect a different tone for this country, for the betterment. I think the occasion is momentous because of how many people became excited about politics, and are invigorated on so many levels. I think it would be naive to think, that what happens to us in the U.S. doesn’t affect others in other countries. And I feel as though we learned the world is more linked than we thought in the last four years. No matter where you move to, friends & family will be affected by the ripples that cross oceans due to government policies, international relations and humanitarian associations.
But I don’t think anyone can dispute, that there are multiple meanings and significance. For me, it’s just that it is a new generation where a politician is keenly aware of the difficulties we face- for education, economics, environmental, & health care- and who actively seeking opinions and voices from a multitude of experienced sources.
And I really appreciate how Obama has verbalized, that change doesn’t come from one man alone- but from each one of us since we are all linked. So I am excited for a new voice and a new tone that will bring this country to a new generation of individuals who understand diversity intensifies our voices to a common reality- to make sure we realize we are all in this together.
Besides… how many times in our lifetime will we see such jubilation from so many countries? Happy Inaugural Day, we were part of the process! whether you voted for him, or not.
January 20, 2009 at 1:47 pm
blablover5
History is a funny thing. It’s like an eccentric aunt.
You plan and get all excited for a visit from her, buying special tokens and cleaning your place up only to have her pop in for a minute and be off or not even show up.
But when you’re having a hard day, there are dishes in the sink, laundry needs to be done, and for some reason the couch is on fire she sweeps into your life causing either chaos or joy and making all that stuff before seem pointless.
I do find it interesting how so many people try to mold and force history into this one special box, it’s either a stuffy shirted librarian droning on about dates or it’s this happening radical dynamic that we can predict and relish in to tell the grandkids.
Planning on history is the surest way to dash hopes and you may miss out on a really special part.
Okay so this may have little to nothing to do with racial relations in America at present as that seems to be something that has no easy answers and is as multifaceted as a diamond, but this weird veneration of fake history has been bothering me a bit.
Almost as though our culture gets to pick what is important in the moment instead of relying on hindsight.
January 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Jenna
Thanks to all of those who took the time to so intelligently articulate their responses. I knew there would be many of you disagree with me, and it’s nice to know there are others who feel a little bit slighted as I do.
Kasia-We like to think of ourselves as “progressive” in America, but I don’t think we are (at least the media doesn’t seem to be). It’s nice to know that other primiarly “white” nations are though.
Brooke-I hope that one day we can stop identifying ourselves by any criteria other than “American”
kimberly-Very well said. Thank you.
T-Don’t criticize me for expressing my opinion and not be man/woman enough to stand up for your own. At least I said something, right? Don’t all positive changes in history come about because people speak out for what they believe to be right? Don’t sign your email as “nope@privacy.com”. Be proud of who you are and what you believe in. I am.
erin-I thought your post today was so great. I think we made the point, between the two of us.
January 20, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Emily
Can’t we celebrate BOTH because Obama is an African-American AND because he is eloquent, qualified, and inspiring? It’s so easy for non African-Americans to say that it’s not a big deal that we’ve just elected the first African-American president into office, but WAKE UP, PEOPLE: IT’S A BIG FREAKING DEAL!
The only way that we could claim that it doesn’t matter that Obama is African-American would be if we’ve totally lost touch with history — the Civil Rights movement, while it may seem like eons ago, is still such a recent event in the history of the United States that it’s amazing we’ve turned this corner so quickly. If we study history, we recognize — it’s BEYOND a big deal.
Race isn’t the only thing that defines Barack Obama (as he himself has argued), but to ignore it is disrespectful to the people who worked for (and sacrificed their lives for) racial equality. I respect everyone’s views on the subject, but it’s a mistake to pretend that it doesn’t matter. It’s also a mistake to assume that Obama ONLY won because he’s African-American. After all, history shows: the American people have a pretty solid track record of voting white guys into office. Barack Obama did NOT win this election just because he’s African-American.
If we actually pay attention to and follow politics, we’d know that Obama isn’t planning to rest on any kind of laurels just because he’s succeeded in becoming the first African-American president. The dude has made some big plans and, from all appearances, is going to work his tail off in service to this country. To say that “all this talk about race” is superfluous and meaningless is to be ego- and ethno-centric — not only does Obama’s election matter, but it matters a great deal.
I disagree that celebrating this (enormous, breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime) milestone in race relations in the United States turns Obama into “The Black President.” Today is such a celebration for so many people, for myriad reasons, and it’s a shame that when the day has finally come that we’ve elected a minority president we act like it’s not a big deal because it might not matter to us personally. Friends: IT’S A BIG DEAL.
January 20, 2009 at 2:28 pm
kacey
i do agree with your point about how everyone said they didn’t vote for him because he’s black…but now they are all hooting and hollering because he’s black. but i saw will smith on oprah and i liked what he said about it…he talked about how now it’s not just an idea that a black person could be president, a black person is president. and because of that, black people don’t have an excuse any more. any person of any race can make whatever they want of their lives and make their dreams a reality–no excuses. i like that explanation of it.
however, i HATE how the media is all over this “historic event.” well, duh. whenever a new president is elected it’s a historic event. i realize he is the first black president (although he is half white…no one seems to acknowledge that…) but he’s still just a man like all the presidents before.
and i REALLY HATE all the obama commemorative coins and decorative plates and embroidered pillows and limited edition artworks. i say lets see what the man actually DOES before we start wallpapering our homes with his image. people are acting like obama has saved us from the evil bush administration…well he hasn’t even had an administration yet. and being president is, obviously, not all that easy.
January 20, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Emily
Inaugural Poem, by Elizabeth Alexander
“Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”
We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, “I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.”
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.”
Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp — praise song for walking forward in that light.”
January 20, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Jenna
Kacey-Well I love Will Smith even more now. No more race card. I like that. Anyone can do anything.
Emily-Thanks. I’d heard people saying how much they like that poem. It’s beautiful.
January 20, 2009 at 3:19 pm
brooke @ claremont road
Thanks for bringing up this interesting topic, Jenna.
I think it’s also worth noting that the media is responsible for a lot of the “fluff” surrounding the new President and this Inauguration….. not Obama himself.
January 20, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Katie
Well, here’s my two cents: We have inaugurated 43 old white guys. This is something different. It is exciting because it is something that has never happened before. If Hillary had won I personally believe there would be a lot of hype about the first woman as well.
We live in an age of the 24 hour news cycle. They need something to feed us. Believe me if Teddy Roosevelt was the president right now there would be plenty of hype about the first president in a wheel chair.
January 20, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Katie
Ooops … I meant Franklin Roosevelt. Duh. I obviously should not be president!
January 20, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Mandi
I totally agree with you. I’ve been reading your blog for awhile by accidentally stumbling on it and decided to comment. I’m only a 21 year old college student who honestly doesn’t pay too much attention to politics. I have however tried to follow all of the current presidential coverage. I believe that a major factor in this election was race-hands down. I hate that it had to be this way but I am not dumb to believe that this country has overcome it’s racial tensions. I live in Louisiana and there is still a massive amount of racial tension down here, unfortunately. I think it is great that the US elected an African American president, but is that really what we should be focusing on? I feel that is all that is being looked at right now. If that’s the case then every other ethnicity that is here in the US should be furious because the only two races Americans focus on is Caucasian and African American.
What I am trying to convey is that this race was based on race. And because of that I feel bad for Obama…that automatically puts way more pressure on him than needed.
I wish him the best of luck and I hope that George W. gets some much needed R&R.
January 20, 2009 at 4:49 pm
kaitlyn
Many of my comments have been said above.
So I’ll simply say kudos Jenna. You wrote the post I wish I had.
January 20, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Marissa
I agree, but I think my excitement is even less than yours… if we continue to talk about race being a factor and playing a victim card – we will never move to legitimate equality…
January 20, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Rebekah
(Commenting from a personal standpoint instead of representing EAD.) It is an incredibly huge deal to elect a non-white President (our first out of forty-four presidents). It is a great moment in American history, and I am very proud to be part of it. To downplay it is to take away what makes it special to people of color. Imagine being Mormon. Imagine it being legal to practice your religion a mere forty years ago. Now imagine having a President that believes, looks and talks just like you. Does he represent the entirety of your religion? No, but he is closer to being like you than anyone before. That is what makes this so special. Obama may fail. He may succeed. He is by no means perfect, but he is breaking new ground left and right and makes me proud to be American.
January 20, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Miss PP
I totally agree, Jenna. There’s a lot of talk about this being a historic day, but I don’t see how any of Obama’s policies are going to make history. He has way too little political experience to know how to affect real change.
I cried during George Bush’s farewell address.
January 20, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Miss PP
Whoops! I mean, effect change.
January 20, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Jenna
Rebekah-I guess when people make the Mormon comparison I think “A Mormon would be elected in spite of their religion, never because of it.” I don’t think that was the case for Obama.
January 20, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Karin
Obama was NOT elected because of his race. Yes, people may have voted for him because of his race. Just the same as people voted for McCain because of his race (or maybe because he is not a certain race). Just because a certain subset of the population may have voted for Obama based on his race (just as a certain subset of the pupulation voted for Hilary because of her gender) does not, nor should it, take away the fact that the overwhelming majority of AMERICANS voted for Obama.
Jenna, I disagree with you that a Mormon would not be elected because of their religion. I have no personal experience with politics in Utah, but I gander to guess that happens more often then not. You may say you aren’t voting for person because they are Mormon, but the reality is that most likely their political stance on certain issues, which are rooted in their Morman beliefs and values, is the reason you are voting for them.
I agree that Obama should be judged not on the color of his skin, but on his achievements over the next four years. But to not even acknowledge that our nation (and many of our ancestors) treated people of color as second class citizens not too long ago, would be an injustice.
January 20, 2009 at 8:53 pm
kalen
i feel exactly the same, word for word.
January 20, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Chrissie
I don’t think celebrating a historic moment will paint this President (!) into a corner in terms of his legacy. Goodness, it’s only Day One! I voted for him because he was the candidate who most closely matched up with what I believe is right for this country. Like Kimberly I have been following him since his DNC speech in 2004 also. When I first heard him speak, I knew I wanted him to be my President. For a lot of our generation, myself included, he is what inspired us not only to vote, but to take an active part in the political process by making calls and going door to door.
Yes, it is historic. Part of me thinks that any inauguration would be this full of pomp in these celebrity and tabloid obsessed times. But it truly does show how far our country has come. Just because you are color blind does not mean everyone is. I live in the Bible Belt and racism is alive and well.
The real work and change that many of us are excited about begins tomorrow. But don’t begrudge us the celebration of this milestone.
January 20, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Emily
I agree totally with Karin and Rebekah — this country has a long-standing tradition of NOT electing minorities, and so I think it’s entirely wrong to assume that Obama was elected BECAUSE of his race.
I really like Rebekah’s reference to history. To say that it’s not a big deal that an African-American was just elected president is to completely ignore American history. It might feel easy or appropriate to say that it’s no big deal, but the nation (and world) demonstrated today that it IS a big deal to an awful lot of people.
It’s a shame that the day has finally come when we’ve elected a minority president, and then people have the nerve to act like it’s not a big deal because it might not matter to them personally.
Wake up, people: IT MATTERS.
January 20, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Katie
I completely disagree with you Jenna. I read your last comment and have walked around my house wondering how to respond. I still don’t know.
I am so very tired of hearing that I am some kind of a pod person who just votes based on skin color or whoever my favorite celebrity voted for. I am an educated woman and I made an educated decision based on my beliefs and vision for my country. Please understand I respect your beliefs and realize they are different than my own- but please – don’t minimize my vote by using those types of generalizations.
If Mitt Romney and run and won I believe you would warrant the same respect.
January 20, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Rachel
Although YOU are okay with who he is, and most people are okay with it, there are sadly many, many people in our country who aren’t.
I agree that it shouldn’t be a big deal that he’s an African American and now the leader of our country, but the truth is, we have had only old, white, men for the past 43 presidents so this is a big deal. A huge deal. And a big win considering that in our parents’ lifetimes, this would have never happened. He would not have been able to eat in the same restaurants you eat in every day.
And I completely disagree that he won just on race. I think you’re being just as terrible as those people who say others have called him a messiah or the anti-Christ. Just because the person you voted for lost, does not mean you can claim he won because of how it looks. He won because he was the best. He was better than that old white guy they drug out of storage and that stupid woman they stuck with him.
January 20, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Debra
Well said, Jenna.
January 20, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Jennifer
I happen to have many Mormon friends who insisted on being involved in the past election to support Romney…….and as soon as he was out of the race they seemed to stop caring. I’m not trying to slight you here, but do you honestly believe him being Mormon had nothing to do with their support? Really?
Our country is in a horrible place right now. Our economy has gone down the tubes, and we’re in the midst of a war we have no business being in. The day after President Obama was elected, hundreds of countries around the world said how happy they were and how excited to befriend American once again they were. I’m personally excited that I can travel abroad sometime soon and not be given nasty looks when people realize I’m American. It IS a big deal that Obama won-and I think that should be recognized. But that’s just my opinion. Again, not trying to make you feel bad-but you ask for open and honest dialogue so I’m giving it.
January 20, 2009 at 11:19 pm
ashley mar
I agree with you Jenna…why so much talk about the fact that he’s black??
Oh and about the baby thing….we just decided to let Heavenly Father bless us with a baby whenever he thought we were ready….and it took us nine months of trying after we were married to get pregnant…we didn’t expect to have another so soon, but I wouldn’t change it for the world….babies are wonderful blessings and it’s your life so live it how you want to….having kids does change your freedom of going some places though….having one to tag along isn’t bad…it’s when you have two that you have to worry about that it gets hard!! Good luck…I know the frustration of going month to month not having any success…it will come in due time!!!
January 20, 2009 at 11:21 pm
ashley mar
* I forgot to say that I understand that that’s awesome that we have a black president, but you are right when you say so many people made a big deal about it that I think that is why he got elected…I just wish he had more experience…we’ll see how things go…
January 21, 2009 at 12:01 am
Jenna
*Sigh* Attempting to respond to individual commenters has led me to look like I think people ONLY voted for Obama because he is black. Which is not what I meant, or what I think. Now I see why some bloggers stay out of the comment section. I don’t want to be that way, but it’s easy for the original meaning to become lost when I feel like I need to defend myself from all sides.
I wrote this post because I wanted to find some hope of my own. I wanted to believe that there were people out there who knew why they voted the way they did, and could help me get a glimpse of what the future might hold, because with all the focus on skin color right now I can’t seem to see it.
So thank you to those who did that for me. I don’t agree with him, but I can at least find a way to hope for him now.
January 21, 2009 at 4:37 am
Cate Subrosa
Well you already know I love Obama – for his credentials and what I believe he will do for US and the world. (Case in point: first action in office, taking steps to close Guantanamo.) But the reason all this “first black president” stuff winds me up is actually quite different. Do they mean first non-white president? First mixed-race president? Because if I were his mother, I’d be slightly offended that no one had noticed my half of his racial heritage.
January 21, 2009 at 5:45 am
oh, a dissenter
I’m a bit taken aback by your statement that you have never had any issues with racism. In my opinion, the first step to addressing the harm that racism has caused in our country it to admit our own white privilege, and our own racism. It is only then that honest conversations can be had, and that any type of healing is possible.
Obama’s skin color is hugely significant, as others above me have said. And yet, even more, it is his capacity to unite people and operate out of HOPE that is so unique and different. The stories of people coming together across party, racial, and economic lines with excitement about the possibility of CHANGE in our country? Sure, they are becoming buzz words, but they are completely different than how the government has been operating.
I’m also curious what the resume to be President would look like? Who has such a resume, and does that really make them a good President? Personally, I prefer a humble, honest leader with integrity, who seems to love his wife and children, welcome differing opinions, and is attempting to unite Americans, and lead the country into something new.
I don’t know much of the LDS faith, but Obama’s “resume” reminds me of a Christ-like integrity, purpose, and hope.
January 21, 2009 at 8:48 am
Kristin
I’m just throwing this out there. And people can agree or disagree.
Should we be proud that our citizens saw beyond color and elected a black man? Yes.
But at the end of the day he is simply just that….a man. Imperfect. Certain to fail at one point. Just one man.
Regardless of who you or I voted for, this man is our president and he deserves our support and respect. I pray that he be surrounded by very wise council. I can’t imagine the burden he must feel. So many millions of us are expecting him to balance the budget, fix social security, end the war in the Middle East, use correct grammar, reverse global warming, pass laws legalizing gay marriage, provide jobs, end the recession…all by the end of the week. I hate sounding like a skeptic, but I cannot and will not put my faith in this man. My faith and hope for this nation is in God, and I pray that He use this man to do His will.
January 21, 2009 at 8:54 am
emily
So yesterday when i read this I felt like most of my thoughts had already been addressed, that unfortunately we still don’t live in a country where everyone is as “color blind” as some of us, and that’s one reason why Obama’s inauguration is historic, so I thought no reason to respond. And then on the way home from work i listened to BBC news and heard something so disturbing to me that it kept me awake, and i thought maybe this would be the place to address it.
They interviewed a young man in his early/mid twenties in Alabama (my home state), who is part of an organization that opposes Obama. As he went through his reasons for opposing Obama, the list was similiar to anything you would have heard from any Republican pundits during the election. But his tone was something different, something filled with disgust. The reporter went in slowly, asking him about being from a state so involved in segregation, and if he would have liked to live in those times, and the young man said Absolutely. He went on to say things about black people being more successful in “their own” schools and businesses (but what about “their own” water fountains?). And then the BBC reporter said it “Do you have a problem with Obama being black?” and the guy said “Yes. it’s a deviation”. Now, deviation in statistics can mean any variation from the norm, but that’s not what we think when we hear “deviant”, now is it? And that is the tone this guy used. This guy, my age, who grew up in Alabama when I did, with desegregated schools and the cosby show on tv, and he thinks having a black president is a deviation.
So maybe that’s why we need to let it be a big deal, a historic moment. Because there are still people, not just old men who were alive before the civil rights movement, but people our age, who think like that.
I hope this was okay to talk about here, I really needed to address it and it felt like it might work here.
January 21, 2009 at 9:06 am
Amanda W
I have really tried not to comment on this issue because I have such strong opinions against the new president the country elected. I know that I have to just accept him for who he is and hope that he does a good job. The one thing that just makes me cringe on the fact that he is president is that he said “the first thing I will do when I take office is sign the FOCA act” this act legalizes abortion no matter how far along you are in the pregnancy (for example, a baby born that would survive if given medical care is left to die because the mother doesn’t want it and ALL doctors will NOT have the choice as to whether or not they want to perform this procedure). I understand that each woman has the right to choose but her right was to choose to have sex or not. Once another human being came into the picture what makes her right to choose more worthy than that of the unborn child? I know that that is a controversial topic in itself and that we are all here to be tried and tested. Heavenly Father gave us agency to choose for ourselves and that we will all be judged according to our choices someday. I just DO NOT agree with the last poster. How can you believe that President Obama is Christlike when supposedly the legalization of taking an innocent baby’s life is what is first on his agenda.
January 21, 2009 at 10:00 am
Mochacoca
Jenna,
I too agree with you in some respect but I understand why people are making a big deal about his race. I wrote a blog about this yesterday and I said the same thing that will smith said…. “no more excuses”.
Electing Obama pretty much debunked all the sterotypes that people have once relied on….. Like I am a single mother and this is why my son is in jail with 3 kids from different women. Well look at Obama’s mom she was a single woman too. And also it helps debunke the sense of having kids without actually been a family because it is obvious that Obama is a family man.
Even though I did not vote for him or McCain I am happy that our country has turned the corner and that little boys and girls that I mentor can see that yes they can do it to. So as much as I don’t want to focus on race I kind of have to if it will set a positive example.
I watched the inaurguration here in Iraq and there were many people there. I couldn’t but to cry because I realized this is history in the making. many of the soliders did to. They weren’t just black they were white too.
You have to understand right now with 2 wars and the economy the way it is people need something positive to hold on to and this is it for them. So while we may not agree with him or his policy I am happy to see people come together in a positive way.
I like Bush but I intend to support our president until he has given me a reason not to.
Thanks for bringing this up!! Take care
January 21, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Turtle
Obama was elected because the country is mired in crises of war, economics, and spirit. Many may have voted for him because he is not Bush and represents a shift from the policies and political philosophy of the last year. Many may have voted for him because he is a great communicator– a motivating orator and exemplary teacher. many may have voted for him because he symbolizes a generational shift– the first president to request a computer in the oval office. Many may have voted for him because of his own credentials and accomplishments– from Harvard to the streets of Chicago, there are many. Many may have voted for him because of his political ideals, his campaign promises, his decision-making strategies and legislative voting reacord. And yes, many may have voted for him because he is an African American man– the son of an immigrant and a symbol of possibility and promise. The diversity of these reasons and the sum of their support is what shapes a democracy as large as ours. There were many reasons that others chose not to vote for him– this time, however, when the tallies were made, it fell in his favor, and the result was historic.
I drove to the airport before dawn this morning in a van of full of tired passengers. Among them a woman from Georgia, the 75 year old daughter of a sharecropper, who remembers attending an all-black school and being relegated to the back of the bus. She said to me– “this is a day I never imagined, not just because obama is our first black president, but because we– you and I, black and white– can both vote and we can vote for each other.” For all our differences, in color and philosophy, I think that this shift, the ability to not be trapped by our past is worth acknowledging.
January 21, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Angela
People who say “race isn’t important, don’t focus on race” most likely never HAVE to think about it. The lingering effects of slavery are still so strong in this country. A black president is a major milestone.
I celebrated Obama’s inauguration yesterday for two reasons:
1. He’s the best candidate.
2. I’m a supporter of Civil Rights, and yesterday was a milestone in an ongoing struggle for equality.
January 21, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Krista
Interesting comment. I agree in some ways. I think he is a smart man with good ideas. The fact that he’s “black” shows that people can be judged on the content of their character. I don’t believe he became president b/c he’s “black”. I believe he became president b/c of his intelligence and ideals. He’s inspiring people. Celebrate this barrier breaking. But no one should trivialize him by calling him merely the “black president”.