Democracy....

is the voice of the people. And the people have spoken. We, the people, of the United States of America, have elected the first African-American president. Not only did he win the electoral vote, but also the popular vote. I will say, in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote and all that bullshit with Florida, really hurt my faith in the idea of democracy. Even if I HAD voted for Dubya in 2000, I would have questioned the whole election process.

What's the point, if MY vote wasn't going to count.

I almost felt that way last night. I did vote for Obama. I live in rural Louisa County, where from all sides, the gun-toting rednecks (who I love lol and are BFFs with) were saying, "Remember your southern heritage." My 7 year old came home saying "We aren't ready for a brown president."

Well, I did NOT grow up in 1865. I did NOT come from a family that owned slaves. I was born in and spent many years of my life in Petersburg, where the black population surpasses the white. I won't lie, I have some prejudices. I will admit, when I voted for Hillary in the primaries, I said, I will NOT have a black president, I will vote McCain.

When it came down to it, after all the article reading and debating with Kumiko, I ultimately couldn't cross party lines. I believe that everyone was created equal. Blacks, white, koreans, japs....everyone. And now I feel like if Obama is president, MY kids, who are the GREATEST minority (as 1/4 iranian, 1/8 japanese and the rest a cluster fuck of european) can too become President.

I fear that if they do, the public will hear "His grandmother is Iranian...he's going to let the USA get bombed by terrorists.

Well, to me, that has nothing to do with the person running for President. My grandmother was Japanese. She was a Shinto Buddhist. If *I* were in Obama's place, would the public be saying "She's not a Christian, she's a Buddhist?" I think that's fucked up.

Long story short, I had the talk with my kids this morning, and I'll tell you, too.

"Boys, today is the beginning of a new America. We have a new president, and he is a brown person. Just because he is brown, does not make him a bad person, or a bad president. Some of your classmates are brown, like Kamaya, "Peanut," and Divine. They are good people, and you call them your friends. All in all, we are AMERICANS. We live in AMERICA, we exist through democracy, where the people have a right to voice their opinions and place their votes. We are LUCKY to live in a country that allows us to do that. You might not agree with what was decided, but because we are true Americans, we can't turn our backs on our government because of who our president is."

Zach, who was adamant about John McCain, looked at me with his big brown eyes and said, "We are Americans, and I don't want to be anything else. Even if we do have a brown president."

From the mouths of babes.
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