The question is...now what?

I had been sitting in a bar, surrounded by people, when around 5:30 in the morning, it all becomes so clear why we had been waiting. CNN, breaking news: Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. It's a moment that will not only forever be engrained in my head, but also my heart. Of the people around me, there may have only been 10 or so Americans, but the feeling of joy instantly spread. But there was another feeling...a feeling of hope, of change, or finally turning 8 disastrous, deceitful, embarrassing years around to strive for what America is really about. 

Being here has shown me how people feel about Americans and the American government. While some people can't seem to grasp the difference between the two, the results of Tuesday night may finally shed some light on how we will finally work together, have our voices heard, and live up to all we can be without exploiting others, and even ourselves.

While I thought being here to hear the European viewpoint on the entire election, it also made me incredibly sad that I couldn't be amongst fellow Americans who depend on Obama to steer us off the path to hell and back in the right direction. Although the actions of the US no doubt have an enormous effect on the rest of the world, celebrating with them just didn't mean the same things. Their reaction was more of a "finally they did something right!" kind of thing, while Meryl and I sat their with tears in our eyes and exuberance in our hearts.

Although nothing can take away from exactly how happy I am about President Obama, I am still processing the fact that Proposition 8 passed with such high numbers. Yes, it was a close call, but 52.5 to 47.5 isn't close enough. 400,000 votes weren't close enough. How can we pass something so natural, so beautiful as the act (not even the RIGHT) of marriage, and then just take it away? How can those voters look themselves in the mirror everyday, and not see a homophobic, discriminatory, hateful person staring back? It really is beyond me.

It's times like these I thank God for my parents and grandparents, who see the good in people no matter their sex or skin color, and rather than hate because of differences, love because of commonalities. I was raised by people that not only love me immensely, but love other people just as much. 

I hope one day, people will see the errors of their ways. While I don't exactly know how I stand on the whole issue of religion, I do know that there was no single man who decided just how and why you could judge someone for who they are, when he is the one who (supposedly) created them.  I am a big believer in "agree to disagree," but sometimes just can't find it in my heart to allow these blatantly hateful people to overcome. 

At any cost, Obama is in, and the world is ready for some much needed change.

January 21, 2009 will be a glorious day for the record books :)