Obama!

In my lifetime, I haven't seen much in the U.S. that I'm especially proud of. When I think of what we've given the to world, the things the leap to mind are consumerism; the value of profit over everything else; lack of concern for the environment and the natural world; a belief that we have the right to bully smaller, less powerful people in order to maintain the profits of our powerful corporation and the people who profit from them and our wasteful lifestyle. In graduate school, my best friend, who was Israeli, used to point out that I'm very American, whether I like it or not. That my rather intense need for independence, my work ethic (work at the expense of health and happiness), and my tendency to be polite, yet distant, were all classic American. I don't know that these are my best traits.

However, I just watched Obama's speech about race, and discovered something that I think the U.S. has given the world that is truly for the better. He said that among his siblings, cousins, and extended family, he is related to people of all races and classes. His family was a blend of Africa, Indonesia, and White America, and he married into a family of Black Americans. This is where the U.S. is ahead of the game. I don't have any data to back this up, but I believe that the U.S. has lead the way in recognizing value in diversity. It hasn't gotten through to all corners of the U.S., of course, but in my lifetime, I've seen big changes in how normal it looks to see people hanging out together that have a range of skin tones. I now expect that the people I interact with in the course of the day will be different from me in some external way(s), and I love how little that interferes with us working together and being together.  I think there has been real progress on this front the the past 30 or 40 years. 

This is inspiring. I do like feeling that the U.S. has brought something positive to the world in my lifetime. And there is, of course, more to be done, and it underlies much important work. I really believe that the more people in the U.S. can see the fundamental truth that we're all in this together, the more good can be done. I'm no longer undecided on who I want for President. I do think there is a difference between Clinton and Obama, and I think Obama has more to offer this country, because he really sees how connected we all are. I really see what he means when he says that his life is about bring people together. I thought he was talking about Republicans and Democrats, and read between the lines that this meant capitulating to the Republicans. But now I believe that he's talking about recognizing our connections with everyone else in this country and the broader world. This is a message I deeply believe in.

The only discouraging thing is that I have a perfect record for voting for a losing candidate. Aargh!