This transformative national progress, sometimes lost amidst Obama’s purposefully post-racial rhetoric, is truly incredible. Now, this very same country decided to elect Barack Obama to its highest political office, during a time of staggering unrest and uncertainty. It cannot and should not be overlooked that a mere four decades ago, our nation’s racial landscape looked like this: History tends to happen both gradually and in fits and starts. That is the reason why thousands of young people descended on the White House in celebration Tuesday night, that is why the streets of our nation’s capitol were flooded with joyous, delirious mobs of youth whose adult existence has been arguably one of the most destructive presidencies in our nation’s history. To go from the “norm” of divisiveness, fear-mongering, and cynicism to the “Yes We Can” hope and inspiration of a Barack Obama presidency is a truly mind-blowing and radical shift. In political terms, this has been my status quo. From freshman year of high school onwards, my entire reality has been Bush Administrations I and II. This election was quite simply the second most historic single-day event of my politically conscious lifetime (narrowly behind 9/11, for now). That is the word that I’ve been using with greater and greater fervor over the past week. I won’t delude myself into thinking I can contribute anything particularly unique to the mountains and mountains of reflection and analysis, but that doesn’t mean I won’t at least try. It’s been three days since Barack Obama was elected president of the United States.
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