Patriotism

What happened last night? I'm not referring to the election, but rather the immediate aftermath. The ballots were counted, the numbers were tallied and McCain stood up like a man and accepted his loss. He stood before a sea of supporters and urged all of us, republican and democrat, to not let the results of this debate divide us further and it has. We aren't acting like we are all peas of the same pod anymore. We aren't even acting like we're all peas. We have allowed the results of a monumental and historic election drive us further apart as a nation and a people. Why?
I'm sure answers to this question will vary from person to person, but all will be product of the same perpetual political party polarizing that created this growing division to begin with. Last night, whether you were republican or democrat, was historic. It was the AMERICAN dream personified in a singular moment. No matter where you start out, you can end up anywhere. That's the American Dream isn't it?
People are arguing how race is both an issue and not an issue last night and it was both. Make no mistake about it, Obama won because he was the better politician. He won because he ran on an Idea that people needed right now more so than a set of "solutions" for all of our problems. He did not win because he was black. To imply he won simply because he was black is to imply he won by only the percentage of the black vote. He didn't. He won in such a clear cut way, there is no mistake about it, but race was still important.
I as a white person will never in anyway shape or form know what it means to be black. I will never understand the pride of seeing black man achieve something as monumental as becoming President, but I can understand what it means for this nation to take the step it did last night. Last night we did something that would have been impossible to do 100, 75, 50 years ago. As much as it hurts to admit, we all probably have relatives who will remark something to the effect of,” I never thought I'd see the day..." Last night was a symbolic change, a symbolic maturation for this country and yes, that is because he is black.
Now this brings me to the final point and the overall point I want to make. Patriotism. How many people have already began shunning Obama without him serving a moment in office? How many of those same people stuck by President Bush when he made his mistakes and his approval rating fell because ,"He is the president and you're supposed to stick with your president." If you were an American last week, you are one today. If you are a patriot last week, you are one today. These colors don't run right?
Tonight and for many nights to comeI am not a DemocratI am not a RepublicanI am not WhiteI am not Black
I am an American. We all are and as Americans we are resilient, we are strong and we are at times bull-headed, but we are, more than anything else, strong. We are strong as a people and a nation. Even if all the bad things said about Obama come true, we will survive. I urge everyone to put aside political ideology. I urge everyone for just a moment to suspend your disbelief and give this man a chance. He may not be the best candidate in your eyes, but he is our President. He is your President, he is my President, he is our President because in the end we are all
Americans