A Dawn of A New Day

I stole the title for this blog from my brother's blog. Is it blog-pilfer? Sorry, Mischka.

It is the dawn of a new day. There has been a 'historic', 'one for ages', 'ground breaking' election. For the first time in history, a black man holds the highest office in the land. The next leader of the free world will be very brown.

Since the end of slavery, since the passing of the voting rights act, there has been a struggle for identity for black americans. How can they truly be american if their ancestors were forced to come here in chains? Is this really their country?

For the first time, they can say it is. I wonder what those who have made it their business to trumpet the cause of the oppressed (and make loads of money and gain fame while doing it) will do now that the White House will become the Their House. We'll see. A very smart lady, who was a successful technology salesperson, once called them, "poverty pimps". They worked to end poverty while never really affecting any change and then blaming their ineffectiveness on 'the man'. Well, 'the man' is now going to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I am proud that we as a country have buried hatred and bigotry to vote for someone of a different race. I am proud we are able to move ahead.

However, will we really move ahead? It sounds like the 1960s all over again. The country is in an unpopular war (wars really). The economy is in shambles. Corporate greed has gone unfettered and indeed financed by our tax dollars. Personal responsibility has given way to "Choice" as in choice to have a baby, choice not to work or pay the mortgage on a house we really couldn't afford in the first place because the government will just give us the money.

I actually heard a woman gush as she left the polls that she never thought this day was possible. It wasn't a black man as president to which she was effusive. It was that she no longer had to worry about how to pay the mortgage or put gas in her tank because President Obama was going to take care of everything.

It is the dawn of a new day. I'm not convinced it isn't going to be raining. And raining very soon on this "Yes, we can!" parade.

As the bible says, it rains on the just and the unjust. Get your umbrellas kids and brace yourselves.