HISTORIC ISSUES
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Vol.17
No.2 - 7/15/1882 |
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Courtesy of the New York
State Historical Association Library, Cooperstown, N.Y (.PDF files)
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April 2009
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New York Canal Times -
Online newspaper
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Mercury Media Group
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Obama’s election made me proud
By Mike Root |
I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in our country last Tuesday night. I saw it first on the Internet: “Obama captures presidency.” A little later, I turned on the TV in time to catch Sen. John McCain’s concession speech.
Over the past few months, as McCain slipped further behind in the polls, it became pretty evident that Sen. Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States. But the significance of it didn’t fully hit me until I lay in bed listening to CNN’s coverage of the election.
As a teenager, I thought this country would never see a black president in my lifetime. Maybe I was naive; maybe others shared the same feeling. I felt it was completely ridiculous that no matter how qualified a candidate was to lead our country, the person would never have the chance because of the color of his skin. Yes, I said his skin, because the thought of a woman in the Oval Office was as incomprehensible with all previous presidents being white males.
| | Mike Root | |
I have always been a highly tolerant person. Whether someone is black or white, gay or straight or Christian or atheist doesn’t define what is in their heart. That’s what matters most in this world, at least in my eyes.
I haven’t seen much racism, first hand, in my life. I wasn’t alive during segregation, and I grew up in a predominantly all-white community. So I think I was never fully aware of how much racism still existed in this country.
When I started following the presidential elections as a young teen, I asked my dad why there had never been a black president. When he explained that racism was the culprit, I was in a slight state of shock.
I learned about slavery and segregation in school and how our country had put an end to those because they were wrong. I knew racism still existed, but I couldn’t believe that the majority of the people in the United States of America wouldn’t elect a black president. It was a sickening feeling.
Now, 20 years later, Nov. 4, 2008, that sick feeling in my stomach was replaced with joy and pride. Whether you believe Obama is the right person to lead our country or not, you have to agree that last Tuesday was one of the most significant days this country has ever seen.
I’m so proud of how far our country has come. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. I don’t know if that dream has been fulfilled, but this certainly had to be a part of it.
Sure racism, and all its ugliness, still exists, but it’s now a time where anyone can truly achieve whatever goals they set forth. Isn’t that the American way?
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