After the election

The frenzy is finally over. Almost. Maybe not. It's been a week since Obama won the election. The news coverage and media has died down considerably since then - but photos and articles are still popping up all over the Internet. Obama tours the White House. Obama's wife asks Hillary for help. Hotels are filling up in DC for the Inauguration. The Obama family are given secret names by the Secret Service...

OK, first off - Do these people realize that the Secret names aren't so secret anymore? Calling them secret names and posting them on the Internet makes the whole point moot. Guess there really is freedom in the media. Or maybe, just maybe the Secret Service is betting on America being dumb enough to believe that those are the Secret names. Regardless, I guess they're better than "The Eagle has landed."

When word came that Obama won, I felt a tiny - really, a trickle - of shock. But I ask myself, why? In our heart of hearts, I'm sure we all knew that Obama was going to win. How could he not? A young, charming black man who had an amazing way of putting down McCain in debates that you'd think he was actually being friendly and helpful. He was always flashing those pearly whites and chuckling to himself. Guess people like an optimist. Glass is half full, right?

In the past 200+ years of presidential elections, there have been critics. Somehow, I think this time, it's different. Somehow, I believe that if you criticized Obama, you'd be called a hater. A racist.

Presidential jokes have been around for a long time. Black jokes have been around a long time. Blonde jokes - probably even longer. But now, we'll probably see presidential AND black jokes begin to surface. If we chuckled, would we be called a racist?

I was watching TV today - Whoopi Goldberg was a guest on Rachael Ray's cooking show. They discussed the election (what else?). Whoopi made me think. She said that although blacks have been accepted in America and have been given equal opportunities, she had just now realized that she never felt fully accepted until Obama's election. She was carrying around a suitcase that was labeled "Black American." Now, she feels, she can put that suitcase down and carry one around that just says "American." I think that's heartwarming. That brings me back to my point. Blacks have been accepted for years now. But after the election, no doubt they feel even more accepted. So now - if we make a blunder, would we be called a racist? I wonder...

Along with the election, Californians voted on Prop 8. Prop 8 discussed whether gay marriages should be declared invalid. Prop 8 was voted yes. Now - all the gay marriages that have taken place in the State of California in the past 6 months (since the passing of the bill) will no longer be recognized as legal. A huge blow to the homosexuals and a huge celebration for others.

I read a random blog that was written by a lesbian. She was a strong supporter of Obama. She voted for him. She was excited at the prospect of all new things that Obama promised to bring. She happened to overlook that Obama does not support gay marriages (um... HOW!?). She went on to express her sadness and disappointment.

Although Obama does not support gay marriages, he does support civil unions. And doesn't these people understand that Obama had nothing to do with Prop 8? With this election over, I am dreading the day that partial birth abortion becomes legal again. But - being an optimist, I guess I have to say that I'm glad that at least gay marriages have been overruled. For now.

I'm sure many of us are familiar with the term "the day that music died." It has to do with a few musicians that died in a plane crash together. They were icons and in their deaths, they became a permanent fixture in the music industry. I would have to say... the day Obama got elected, it felt like "the day that America died." Not because he's black - but because of the radical changes that he will try to bring.