I'm speechless. I knew it was coming, but its very real now. I can grasp it now. No longer just a dream, but reality. I don't even know what to do with myself. How to express what this means to me... for me and my daughter. As I sat here on my couch, cuddled up with Miss J., eyes locked on CNN, the tears started to flow as a realization of Obama's win hit me. I kept trying to focus my attention on the the words "CNN Projection" instead of "Barack Obama Elected President". What if something isn't right? What if this, what if that? So use to disappointment. So ready for disaster. And then I just let it go and became proud.
I called my grandmother to tell her that I thought we'd won it. Her reply? "Yeah, looks like ya'll did. I hope he works out for ya'll." She has been so negative toward the possibility of change this entire campaign. I practically begged her to get registered and to vote. She refused. So many of my friends have tales of sharing this experience with their parents, and since I no longer have parents, I thought that I would be able to share this historic event with her. She took the cop out that some others have this election, the belief that neither one of the candidates would create the change that America needs... basically, just bottom line bullshit. The tone of her voice and the words that she spoke stole my joy in that moment. My tears immediately dried on my cheeks and I told her that I'd have to call her back. I can't tell you right now when that will be and I will not focus on her right now, because although my grandmother does not believe in Barack Obama, I know that his grandmother did, and that her arms are permanently wrapped around him.
For now, I will share this day, this time, this moment with those who are rejoycing in states across this country... and beyond (Kenya). I will share this day, this time, this moment with my beautiful sleeping baby who was sooo excited and eager to caste her vote, right along with her mother today for a man that her little 5 year old mind and heart believed in and rooted for. I will reclaim my joy, let my tears begin to reflow, and know that WE, as a people, are now going to be alright.
We really do have the ability to learn something new everyday. A recent visit to Eat Free Lunch schooled me on a particular voting poll rule that I had never heard before. Did you know that you CAN NOT wear any presidential candidate gear to the polls? Sure you probably did, since you, unlike I, probably voted in the last presidential election. Yes, unlike all of you responsible citizens, I am a heathen and I did not vote in the last election, or any election since. I am almost embarrassed to say that it has taken me 6 years to become a registered voter. My years of civil disobedience have come to an end and I am now ready to put in my two cents.
So, back to the "no presidential candidate gear at the polls" rule, the more I think about it the more it makes sense and the more I can picture the potential chaos that will break out between those in charge and younger voters. I can just see it now, a sea of proud young Americans, all decked out in Obama gear ready to make a different, only to be turned away. Many believe that this is being counted on to happen, as a plot to turn Obama supporters away. They feel that if folks sporting Obama gear are turned away then they will not go home, change their shirts, and return to the polls to cast their votes. I don't know how I feel about that theory, but since not a lot of talk is being done on what to do and what not to do at the polls, I can see why some would feel this way.
Make sure that all of the voters you know are hip to the game. Its just a waste of time to have to go all the way back home to change your shirt because you didn't know the rules. And I am pretty sure it would also be a waste of time to have a full blown argument and throw out aquisations of racism just because your visible support for Obama was not welcomed.
As soon as the news broke that John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, I starting thinking what many others were thinking: this is just a way for McCain to snatch up disgruntled Hilary supporters who are unsure if they want to vote for Obama, and to try to make a case to the disgruntled Hilary supporters who have already decided that they will vote for McCain, that he will do for women what Obama would not. This election has been feeling very Suffrage Movement ever since the democratic nominee race started to tighten between Barack and Hilary. Now women have decided to go against their party completely and to jeopardize what could actually be good for this country, just to prove a point: that Hilary, a woman deserved to be the next president and if not, at least the next vice president. I can't sit here and say that this is a completely wrong way of thinking because just like the Hilary supporters, Barack supporters, specifically black voters, had planned to do the same thing had Hilary taken the nomination without making black voters feel like she was truly working for them. They were willing to vote for McCain just to prove a point: that Hilary could not win without the black vote. When, if ever, will this particular election be about the issues and less about the nominee's place in history? Yes it is important for women to be at the forefront, just as it is important for African American's to be at the forefront and if you just happen to be the first woman or African American to be at the forefront that is a wonderful thing, but as Barack stated in his acceptance speech, "this isn't about me, its about you". What is best for the greater good is what should prevail.
As I thought more about the importance of this election, meaning, not who will be the first, but who will be the one to make the needed change in America, I started to think about the black vote. It is true that people who have never been interested in politics or voting in elections have become interested and will be casting their votes this November, but what about those who's vote could be that extra push for change that the country needs, but they have no idea where their place is in politics and society as a whole? These would be people who would be sort of like an Independent, only they have not taken a side not because they are still trying to figure out who is the better candidate, but because they have been stripped of their right to even have a say so. In case you haven't figured it out, I am referring to all of the people (mainly men) who are either currently in jail or who have done time in jail, but are now free. If you have been classified as a criminal (this could be drugs, murder, any kind of felony) you are denied the right to vote. Prisons are overflowing with black men who could be contributors to the black vote this coming election, but this is not an option.
Or so I thought, before watching a special called Locked Up: Ex-Cons & The Vote on BET the other day. Host Sampson Style shared his own story of being someone who was on the wrong path years ago, did time in a New York jail, and who is now a changed man, but one who is not able to truly function as a full citizen because of his past mistakes. He was on a quest to find out why the law still takes the right to vote from those who have done jail time, just who is effected by these laws and how the laws can be changed so that all votes can be counted. I sat in front of my television amazed when I found out that ex-cons can actually vote. Now, the fact that they can vote is not what amazed me, but the fact that rights can be restored to these men (and women), but they are not informed of this upon release and probably not upon completing parole or probation either. You see, in all of the states, except for two, regaining the right to vote is just a matter of paperwork once the person has completed their parole or probation. Style, a New Yorker was in disbelief upon learning that his vote will now count this November and so was rapper Snoop Dog when Style talked to him about California's laws. Snoop was unaware that the same goes for California and that his vote could count as well. Like I said before, I was completely amazed. Looks like "don't ask, don't tell" isn't just for the military.
If you have family, friends, associates, etc who have made mistakes in their lives that resulted in jail time and they are interested in regaining their right to vote, even if they aren't interested, you should really inform them so that they can get the ball rolling or become more educated about just how important they really are in society. This goes a little beyond just being about selecting someone for office, but becomes more about playing our own individual parts in making sure that everyone has equal rights. There is NOTHING worse than being granted a right that you don't even know you have and then missing out on the opportunity to exercise that right. Think about it.
I want to provide a little excerpt from her blog as she wrote about the accident involving her daughter and brother:
Monday evening, I got home before Needlenoggin and decided I'd like to take Rorysaurus downstairs and play with her there myself. My wife said she was going to go run some errands, so I was in charge of both kids, and Needlenoggin got home shortly after she'd left. I told Needlenoggin what the plan was and started to head out the back door to the old staircase that winds down the side of the old Victorian house we share with 3 other apartment units, while he was getting changed out of his work uniform and would join me momentarily.
I paused in heading out with the two kids, and decided Little Monkeyneeded something warmer, since it was getting on into evening, though still bright and sunny. Dressing a baby can take a few minutes, so -- God, I'm crying as I write this -- I turned back to dress him properly. I sat down in his room, and was snapping on his outfit when I heard the crash.
Neighbors were shouting, 9-11 got at least eight different phone calls. I looked out the back door and everything seemed normal, until I looked to my feet. The landing outside our door wasn't quite there anymore. It had become a trap door that swung open under Needlenoggin's weight. I looked down from our second story apartment and saw him bleeding and crumpled at basement level, and I had no idea where my daughter was. He'd picked her up and headed out the door, and she wasn't there.
Apparently, he had grabbed her close, tucked, and rolled to ensure that she landed on top of him. By the time I'd looked out the door, she'd gotten up and run to our neighbor's door for help. Scratches and bruises are all she got from it.
Right now Round Peg and her family are trying to push forward to the next steps in everyone's recoveries as her brother is due to be released from the hospital soon into her care, her baby son is currently in the hospital due to another surgery, her daughter is trying to recovery from PTSD, which she now has as a result of the accident. Not to mention that Round Peg is all stitched up and under strict orders to take it easy. In addition to all of this she is STILL responsible for producing work toward her degree. Due to the mountain of debt that their medical bills have created ($340,000), her degree is now in danger. She has entered a scholarship contest by producing a video that tells her story to the powers that be and explains to them why she NEEDS this money. If all of you can visit her page, watch the video and rate it that will put her one step closer to the first place prize that will help her get the degree that she is working ever so hard for. She is only 60 votes away... please help her get there.
Miss J: You know, a lot of people are voting for him.
Ms. Bar B: They are?
Miss J: Yeah. I love Barack Obama.
This was the conversation between Miss J. and I as she sat on my bed with her back turned to me as I added the last rubber band to her ponytail of two twists yesterday. Who knew that such a conversation could be shared with a 5 year old? I didn't think that politics were amongst the sandbox chatter these days, but I have been proven wrong. I discovered that she has been doing much more than just playing at her new before/afterschool program. She has been learning about things that are very important for her future, such as voting. I think the word "vote" shocked me more than the words "Barack Obama" coming from her lips. Vote? How does she know anything about voting? I wonder if she knows what voting means? I think we underestimate our children's potential very often. Now, we don't do this on purpose, we do it because we feel that some things are just too difficult for children "their age" to comprehend. We are afraid that by sharing certain things with them that we may be exposing them to areas of life that they are not ready for... that they just wont understand. I think that if we can get over these fears there is the possibility of raising much more well rounded individuals. As long as there is interest, I say go ahead and teach. Even The Children's Place thinks that grade school children should get a head start on learning about politics.
