A victory for Obama, a victory for the nation
Matt Arundel
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: OP/ED
In one night, the future of our nation changed. When Barack Obama stood in front of a crowd of tens of thousands, I wept tears of joy not only for his victory but for ours. As a nation, we have progressed so far from the ideals of life, liberty and equality that we were created upon. A man that would have been considered only partially human and up for sale only 150 years ago is now the leader of our nation, the protector of our shores and borders and the commander in chief of our troops.
In modern democracy, where the idea of majority rules prevails, the United States has sent a message to the world.
For the first time in Western democracy, an ethnic minority has been elected with majority support. From the streets of Paris to the homes of Iraq, across the slums of Nairobi and on university campuses across our nation, people took to the streets to celebrate not just history, but also a new direction for our country.
This is not Obama worship. I am not na've enough to believe that he could possibly bring about all the changes that we so deeply crave in a matter of four years. The challenges of war, economic crisis, climate change, America's global image and so much more will take more than one man and one term. For the first time though, I'm confident that one man can provide the leadership and the encouragement to not give up.
On Tuesday night in his speech as President-elect, Obama said he needs our help. This is not only a time for change; it is a time to heal. We are one nation, as Obama has said repeatedly. We are not cheering for him because we worship him. We are cheering because we know that we finally have a voice in the future of our lives and country.
It's time to bridge the gaps. This campus is overwhelmingly conservative. From the weird looks that I got at our College Democrats booth during Voodoo Fest, I've realized that LSUS is not an Obama campus. However, it's a gap in belief that I welcome, because that is the beauty of our democracy. We can come together and work in unison for what we share in common. For those things that we disagree on, let's not put them aside for later. I've had enough of putting things off for the next generation to deal with.
Let's face the truth.
All this talk about "failing our kids and theirs" seems to leave out an important aspect. Our generation, "Generation Y," has been screwed over hard because the ones before us did not step up. So while we clean up their mess, let's make sure the floor stays clean for the generation ahead.
In modern democracy, where the idea of majority rules prevails, the United States has sent a message to the world.
For the first time in Western democracy, an ethnic minority has been elected with majority support. From the streets of Paris to the homes of Iraq, across the slums of Nairobi and on university campuses across our nation, people took to the streets to celebrate not just history, but also a new direction for our country.
This is not Obama worship. I am not na've enough to believe that he could possibly bring about all the changes that we so deeply crave in a matter of four years. The challenges of war, economic crisis, climate change, America's global image and so much more will take more than one man and one term. For the first time though, I'm confident that one man can provide the leadership and the encouragement to not give up.
On Tuesday night in his speech as President-elect, Obama said he needs our help. This is not only a time for change; it is a time to heal. We are one nation, as Obama has said repeatedly. We are not cheering for him because we worship him. We are cheering because we know that we finally have a voice in the future of our lives and country.
It's time to bridge the gaps. This campus is overwhelmingly conservative. From the weird looks that I got at our College Democrats booth during Voodoo Fest, I've realized that LSUS is not an Obama campus. However, it's a gap in belief that I welcome, because that is the beauty of our democracy. We can come together and work in unison for what we share in common. For those things that we disagree on, let's not put them aside for later. I've had enough of putting things off for the next generation to deal with.
Let's face the truth.
All this talk about "failing our kids and theirs" seems to leave out an important aspect. Our generation, "Generation Y," has been screwed over hard because the ones before us did not step up. So while we clean up their mess, let's make sure the floor stays clean for the generation ahead.
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Matt Arundel
posted 11/20/08 @ 4:09 PM CST
The Almagest should know that I won't be submitting another op-ed. This piece is so far from what I originally submitted that it's despicable and quite frankly makes me look incoherent and a hater of old people. (Continued…)
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