So, last night I watched the election results and was so glad to be able to celebrate Barack Obama's victory. His and McCain's campaigns were historic, and I know his presidency will be even more so.
I have to say that my experience with politics has been much like my experience with religion and the Catholic faith over the past 4 or 5 years. 4 years ago, I walked out of the church that I grew up in because I was told that I was wrong for having the beliefs that I do. The opinions and feelings that I developed so deep in my heart throughout my childhood and early adult life were shot down throughout the course of a short few months while sitting through masses and listening to priests berate people like me. So I stopped going to church. I bet the priests would be happy that they got rid of a "heathen" like me-- "Mission accomplished," they would probably say. Well guess what? I took that time to really think through what I believed in, and only became stonger in my convictions. And I have now found a church that supports me for who I am, and doesn't make me feel as if I'm a horrible person just because of the fact that I have an open mind and heart and accept the fact that the world is not what it was in 1950.
In the past 2 presidential elections (the only ones in which I've been able to vote) I have felt like my opinions and beliefs don't matter. And as I've grown over the past 8 years, I've felt even more so. I felt crushed watching the results unfold 8 years ago, whether those results were legitimate or rigged. 4 years ago, it seemed hopeless that anything would change when the country actually did legitimately decide the results. However, I didn't stew over it, I accepted that that was the way it was, living my life the best ways I knew how, but not backing down. Disagree with their decision? Yes. But insulting those who exercised the same rights that I did was not going to get anything accomplished.
Yesterday, I went to my polling place and filled in the arrow next to the name of someone I so hoped would be able to renew my faith in the American people, and last night, my faith was renewed. The country legitmately decided that this man is the one to bring change to our system by integrating our history with the reality that the world is not what it used to be. To those people who voted for McCain and have not seen the results they hoped for, I will say to you that I understand how you feel. It probably hurts. But realize that by insulting and crying over the results you will not accomplish anything. You and I must take this opportunity to acknowledge that it is what it is, and we must work together to accomplish as much as we can with the system we have in place. If you feel some law or process isn't right, challenge it! Be that voice that reminds us that not everyone agrees-- that is the blessing of living in the society that we do. We can challenge the beliefs and opinions of others without having to worry that we'll be killed doing so. But we also must respect the different voices that people have, and not make others feel oppressed or wrong for feeling the way they do. We all came to have our own beliefs and opinions, however different they may be, but we all did so under the SAME SYSTEM. We can use this new time to work together to make that system even better for everyone. Yes we can.