Yes, We Did

­­We supercharged the world last night with the election of Barack Obama.  Not only did we reclaim our hopes and dreams for the 21st century, we took a giant step in restoring our moral authority in the world.  That hope was etched on the faces of all those who watched longingly throughout the evening hours, whether they were in Chicago, Times Square, outside the White House gates, in the villages of Kenya or in the ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis.

Many thoughts came to mind amid the tears of victory.  Each Election Day, we put ourselves and our democracy to the test.  You see, our country, like no other, is built on this “crazy” idea—one that should never work.  It’s the idea that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” ­

Whenever we stand up to the ancient enemies of mankind: greed, hatred, division, fear, and injustice, we restore the soul of our nation.  We did it last night as the world watched and urged us on.  They rejoiced with us, because they too want to believe in the goodness of America.

Carl Sandburg was right when he wrote, “We are Americans, nothing like us ever was.”  ­
­