we won?

i remember...
it was 4 years ago this saturday...
the tuesday before george w. bush had been re-elected to his second term as president...i did not vote for him...
i remember...
i was at church that saturday night...one of the regional pastors of the church was giving the message...and one point in time..he said..."we won"...
i remember...
thinking...how totally odd it was for a pastor to make a remark like that...i wondered what he knew that i didn't know...
what did "we" just win?..

as far as i could tell...
jesus wasn't a republican..
jesus wasn't a democrat...
so...
this statement seemed very odd to me..
it's 4 years later..
the country is in quite a mess...
and i think
what exactly did any of us "win" in that election...

it would be easy to think...
the whole mess we're in as a country...
is the fault of one president..
and his last 4 years in office...
but the reality is..
the current economic mess we're in...is the result of years and years of things that started way before george w. bush ever took office..
one of the main things that caused this mess is something called a "credit default swap"...this is a practice that has been going on for over 10 years....in fact in 1998 there was a bill in congress to regulate this practice...it went up for a vote...in december right before the christmas break....the vote..to not regulate was 98-0.....yes, both republicans and democrats voted to not regulate a practice that is turned out to be at core of our biggest financial crisis as a country in modern times...

if you've never heard of a "credit defaut swap"....chances are you believe the current financial mess this country is in...was caused by fannie mae or freddie mac...or predatory lending practices...or...just the total bad judgement anyone used except for ...of course...us personally...
i highly recommend you look up "credit default swap"...don't take my word for it...
my point here is...
history will probably not look kindly on the george w. bush presidency ...and it has been a mess but to actually blame him individually for the current problems in this country...is well irresponsible...but before you do....go to a mirror...look in it...and then...we'll all see...who else was part of the problem...

so...
barack obama gets elected...and 53% of the people in this country voted for him...that's right 53%...it's not a mandate....it's a majority...
it's also all it takes...
if you believe in our form of government...
and you believe in votes that count...
then he is "our" president now...
still...
i think it's now important to also point out...
we now enter into the hardest part of becoming president...
where we see if it's possible to go from "yes we can"....to "yes we did"...
so...
someone won...
but did we win or will we win as a country...
has yet to be decided..
and ...
we all need to remember...
it will take some time..

i still have a few things on my mind...in looking back on this election...
one of the biggest is...how wonderful i thought it was...that young people got excited about this election...while i didn't vote for obama...i've said it before and i'll say it again...
his ability to excite young voters was truly inspiring...
and exciting...

i don't think i really thought about barack obama as a black person because in reality he is bi-racial...his father was black...his mother was white...stil i didn't think race was much of an issue in this election...i did however believe race would play a factor in how the vote went...and while it appears i was wrong...
he got elected...regardless of his race..
for me..
what i realized on the morning after...was...
i am more aware of racism in the world around me today....that i ever have been...
yes.. as a person of color...
i am now more aware of how many people really have racial prejudices...real racial prejudices...
and ...
to my dismay...this is far greater an issue that i ever believed it to be...

i also am glad to hear ..
i'm not the only person who woke up on the morning after the election and thought it might have been a dream...

oh and one more thing about race...
if we all really want things to not be about race...we need to quit pointing out what a historic event this election was for "black people"...
i suggest we consider...this is validation of what we should have all realized as a country a long long time ago...
anyone...regardless of race, creed or color...can grow up to be whatever they dream to be...
in a country where the only thing that will ever hold us back is ourselves...

so...
i'm still not a believer in what barack obama said to get elected...but i am a believer in the political process in this country...and that means....barack obama is now my president...and i want him to do well because i want this country to do well...
still...
i can find humor in how totally ignorant people are...when they really don't have to be...

and beyond politics...
and there promises politicians make to get elected...
there is God's promise..


tonights music...
jackson browne.....for everyman...

"...everybody's just waiting to hear from the one,
who can give them the answers,
and lead them back to that place in the warmth of the sun,
where sweet childhood still dances...
who'll come along,
and hold out that strong and gentle father's hand?
long ago i heard someone say something 'bout everyman..."