Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Wow.


Miriam Joy
Originally uploaded by paynehollow
Congratulations, President-Elect Barack Obama.

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.

~Barack Obama

There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America - there's the United States of America.

~Barack Obama

21 comments:

BruceA said...

Wow.

Roger said...

Okay, then!

The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

Hmmm...

Alan said...

Nice words, but we're not there yet. There is a straight America and a gay America.

Prop 8, Amendment 2, Prop 102.

As I wrote on my blog today, the irony is not lost on me that a majority of Americans went into the voting booth and, in a historical move that repudiated the bigotry of the past, pulled a lever for an African-American candidate, while at the same time they pulled another lever to enshrine more bigotry into their state constitutions.

Now it's time, as the hymn says, to "live into hope."

Al-Ozarka said...

Gawd!

You divide America then say it is united.

How much more deluded can you get?

America is no more.

Alan said...

"America is no more."

Really? Because I'm looking out my window and it looks just fine. Traffic lights are still working, power is still on, water is still running, and no hoards of evil zombies rioting in the street. Just another happy, sunny day here in the home of the free and land of the brave.

Unlike many, many other countries on the planet, yet again, as it has for over two centuries, this country peacefully, without tanks and guns and riots and assassinations, went to the polls and chose a new President. You can count the number of other countries that can do that on your fingers.

Yup, I'd say that proves that America is still here, and is still sets an example for the world to follow.

Too bad you disagree. But, fortunately, we allow disagreement here too, and even fight to protect it. Even today, there are people in danger fighting to protect your right to disagree. They're not doing that for nothing. Yup, their continued sacrifice proves that America is still here.

Dan Trabue said...

Sorry for the losses in California, Alan. I share your regret.

Do you have the lyrics for the "Live into hope" hymn? I'm not sure if I know that one.

Alan said...

Sure, it's based on Luke 18

Live into hope of captives freed,
Of sight regained, the end of greed.
The oppressed shall be the first to see
The year of God's own jubilee!

Live into hope the blind shall see
With insight and with clarity,
Removing shades of pride and fear --
A vision of our God brought near.

Live into hope of liberty,
The right to speak, the right to be,
The right to have one's daily bread
To hear God's Word and thus be fed.

Live into hope of captives freed
From chains of fear or want or greed.
God now proclaims out full release
To faith and hope and joy and peace.

The lyrics are by Jane Parker Huber, the tune is an old one, "Truro", which is also used for the advent hymn "Life up your heads, ye mighty gates." or the Brian Wren Easter hymn, "Christ is Alive! Let Christians sing."

Alan said...

That should say Luke 4:18.

Al-Ozarka said...

You're fighting for my right to speak out?

Yeah, right. Tell it to Joe (Sam) the Plumber.

Your messiah, Obama, has proven that he is all too willing to crush dissent.

Amazing how you pathetic little liberals refuse to admit it.

Your kind revels in destroying those who speak against your messiah, Obama. It's something that is undeniable.

I fully expect to not be abler to blog freely within a year.

I fully expect Obama and his willing accomplices in Congress...including the Speaker of the House who represents the most reprehensible segment of our society...to shut down conservative voices.

I fully expect a liberal dominated government to make the murder of the unborn common-place.

Yeah, your schmuck of a dear leader will look out for everyone, won't he?

Beginning with the most innocent among us...the unborn.

Shameful!

Alan said...

ROFL.

And yet here you are on the blog of one of "my kind", you know, one of us "pathetic little liberals" who, apparently, has no problem allowing you to leave comments.

I just love the contradiction, it's hilarious.

Thanks for the laugh, though ... seriously. It just reinforces why the far right fringe lost it for McCain last night. Cling to that tightly ... please ... it'll give us 2012 too. ;)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to practice the "reprehensible" gay lifestyle now, then crush some dissent, followed by praying to Mecca. ROFL

Michael Westmoreland-White said...

Yes, sadly, GLBT folks and allies lost in 4 states Tues. The small silver lining is that the power to use this as a "wedge issue" diminished. But we have to redouble our efforts here. At least the current debate is over same-sex marriage rather than military service (as in the '90s). Obama should move quickly to abolish "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and Congress should move quickly to end much discrimination by insurance companies, workplaces, etc. When we lose in one place, we need to win in others while going back to try again where we lost.

John said...

Alan wrote:

no hoards of evil zombies rioting in the street

That doesn't excuse a lack of preparation for a zombie attack.

John said...

We had a similar gay marriage referendum here in Florida. I voted against it. I don't really oppose it, but I'm not enthusaistic either way.

I guess that I decided that it's none of the state's business. The wording of it, taking some governmental stand on interpersonal relationships, was just offensive to my libertarian sensibilities.

Dan Trabue said...

Thanks, John, I appreciate the consistency.

Alan, re: Ozarka, I am okay with letting his nutty rants sit there like the pile of rotting manure they are, as long as his rants are safe, legal and rare. Expose manure like that to the light of day and weather and let it decompose away, seems best to me.

Alan said...

On the upside, Prop 8 won by a much, much smaller margin than Prop 22 did just a few years ago.

It won't be long before we have the votes to get it repealed.

In the meantime, we've got a President and a Congress who can get ENDA passed, and hate crimes legislation passed, and DADT repealed, so there are reasons to be optimistic.

But when 63% of Californians would rather give rights to livestock (Prop2) while taking them away from human beings (Prop8), it does show that we have lots of work to do.

The Pathetic Little Liberal said...

Well, that hurts.

John said...

I've only paid attention to Prop 8 since the election. I'm not impressed with the pro arguments at all. I keep on hearing over and over again "protect marriage as it has been defined since the beginning of time." A lot of people were apparently sleeping through history class.

And I still don't know how someone else's gay marriage threatens my hetero marriage.

Dan Trabue said...

Gay vibes.

John said...

Have you seen this video? Pretty cute.

Dan Trabue said...

Funny. Hoist 'em on their own petard.