In all seriousness, a great thing has happened in the United States, and it should not be mishandled. To tout it as a “Black Victory” is completely undermining the true spirit of this achievement. The United States of America has perhaps matured to a point where it is no longer simply an old, rich, Caucasian who can be President. This not only reflects the changes in our collective attitudes, but also the changes in our population demographics. This victory belongs to all of us. The fact that an African-American has been voted to the top job in government can serve to unite us all, if it isn’t overly emphasized as a black victory. Barack Obama himself is biracial after all, and that too is symbolic of this victory that belongs to all of America.
Barack Obama would not have won the presidency if he didn’t have the votes of other races. In fact, the accusations that I heard prior to the election, that white voters would publicly support Obama, and then go into the privacy of the voting booth and vote for the white candidate, proved to be false! Many people of all races have felt that the government does not represent them. This may be due to unpopular wars, and the untruths that were used to begin them. It might be due to the use of torture or foreign detainees being held for years without representation. It might be because of the failing economy, prices rising, and tax breaks for the rich. At any rate, the public has voted, and we’ve voted to head in a new direction. How we choose to view this historic event, may define our collective culture and serve to show whether or not we have matured past our petty biases.
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