History must have its own way of calling an eyewitness, for in all those sleepless nights I had endured in the past, last night was the most different. Instead of going through an entire nocturnal phase watching cartoons and news, my body surrendered at half past midnight. I was asleep peacefully, only to awakened three hours later by my own body clock.
Surfing the channels, it was my hope that I would get back to sleep after one hour. However, fate must have different plans. With war going on in Georgia and Russia acknowledging the breakaway states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, on the other side of the world, something historic was happening. Today, the Americans made history by officially nominating a black minority to the position of the President of the United States of America.
News anchors and political analysts from CNN have already speculated that the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver will be dramatic. I said, "all right, I'm not an American so why bother to watch the live coverage?" So I changed the channel and tune in to Nickelodeon to watch Invader Zim. Daybreak arrived and still I could not sleep. I went out of the house to cast my gaze at the rising sun, watched the neighbor walk their dog and chatted with another neighbor about the sacrifices being made by working people with challenging work schedules.
Back into my room, I opened the TV once again in hopes that war had broken between Russians and the Americans over Georgia. Instead, what I witnessed was the roll call of delegates from different US States casting their vote for Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
"We, the united Democrats from the tiny but beautiful state of Delaware," announced the representative at the podium "home of the great philosopher so and so, and senator so and so, and the great general so and so.." his bragging was actually boring "cast 7 votes for the senator from New York, Hillary Clinton and 14 votes for the next great president of the United States, Barack Obama." The audience cheered and applauded after the state had cast their vote.
When the representatives from the State of Illinois were asked to come out and cast their votes, their speaker simply abstained from the voting. I immediately reacted, "WTF, that's the home state of Obama and they abstained from the voting? That's impossible!"
The roll-call of delegates continued until it was New Mexico's turn to cast their vote. For some reasons, their speaker announced that they yield their votes to Illinois so that their speaker would be asked to cast again their combined votes. As the representative from Illinois spoke, the camera panned towards the audience where the brimming Hillary Clinton was shown arriving at the convention. Almost immediately, the Illinois representative yielded the combined votes of their state and those from New Mexico's to the delegate from New York.
At this point, I knew what was about to happen.
As the speaker from New York spoke, Senator Clinton was at his side. After some brief introductions, the podium was given to Clinton who once again urged her party mates and supporters to stand united against the Republican nominee John McCain. "With eyes firmly fixed on the future, and in the spirit of unity with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together with one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president." Barack Obama's chief rival in the primaries closed the nomination and elected Obama through acclamation.
"Is there a second," asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was also the secretary of the convention.
When the 4,400 delegates composed of Whites, Hispanics, Asians and other minorities overwhelmingly affirmed Obama as their choice with thundering cheers, Nancy Pelosi officially adapted the motion and declared the Black Senator from Illinois the Democrat Presidential Candidate for the US 2008 Elections.
So there, I witnessed history as it unfolded right before my eyes.
Being a faithful student of the past, it was a moment I will remember for all time. I know how Blacks were discriminated, separated and threatened with violence just a few generations ago. I know their struggles, sufferings and the movers - from Martin Luther King to Malcom X who gave up their lives so that equality will be given to them. Who would have thought that in less than fifty years after the civil rights movement exploded, a Black person might actually become the most powerful person in the planet.
As O'Jay's Love Train blasted from the arena speakers, you see people of different color crying among the audience. Their eyes flooded with tears, I cannot help but share the jubilation and triumph they must have felt when Obama was declared the candidate of the Democrat party.
For a moment there, I sincerely wished I was an American.
Because major revolutions only happen once in a generation. A history has been made and much I would like to be part of it, I am not sure if the rest of humanity is ready for such changes. I rooted for an Obama-Clinton ticket but it didn't happen. Now the world is watching, with much enthusiasm and hope for changes in the American government.
The fight now is not between progressives and conservatives, or the good or the bad.
It is a struggle for our collective future.
I just wish that in the future, history will claim that goodness had prevailed in our time.
News anchors and political analysts from CNN have already speculated that the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver will be dramatic. I said, "all right, I'm not an American so why bother to watch the live coverage?" So I changed the channel and tune in to Nickelodeon to watch Invader Zim. Daybreak arrived and still I could not sleep. I went out of the house to cast my gaze at the rising sun, watched the neighbor walk their dog and chatted with another neighbor about the sacrifices being made by working people with challenging work schedules.
Back into my room, I opened the TV once again in hopes that war had broken between Russians and the Americans over Georgia. Instead, what I witnessed was the roll call of delegates from different US States casting their vote for Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama."We, the united Democrats from the tiny but beautiful state of Delaware," announced the representative at the podium "home of the great philosopher so and so, and senator so and so, and the great general so and so.." his bragging was actually boring "cast 7 votes for the senator from New York, Hillary Clinton and 14 votes for the next great president of the United States, Barack Obama." The audience cheered and applauded after the state had cast their vote.
When the representatives from the State of Illinois were asked to come out and cast their votes, their speaker simply abstained from the voting. I immediately reacted, "WTF, that's the home state of Obama and they abstained from the voting? That's impossible!"
The roll-call of delegates continued until it was New Mexico's turn to cast their vote. For some reasons, their speaker announced that they yield their votes to Illinois so that their speaker would be asked to cast again their combined votes. As the representative from Illinois spoke, the camera panned towards the audience where the brimming Hillary Clinton was shown arriving at the convention. Almost immediately, the Illinois representative yielded the combined votes of their state and those from New Mexico's to the delegate from New York.
At this point, I knew what was about to happen.
As the speaker from New York spoke, Senator Clinton was at his side. After some brief introductions, the podium was given to Clinton who once again urged her party mates and supporters to stand united against the Republican nominee John McCain. "With eyes firmly fixed on the future, and in the spirit of unity with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together with one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president." Barack Obama's chief rival in the primaries closed the nomination and elected Obama through acclamation.
"Is there a second," asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was also the secretary of the convention.When the 4,400 delegates composed of Whites, Hispanics, Asians and other minorities overwhelmingly affirmed Obama as their choice with thundering cheers, Nancy Pelosi officially adapted the motion and declared the Black Senator from Illinois the Democrat Presidential Candidate for the US 2008 Elections.
So there, I witnessed history as it unfolded right before my eyes.
Being a faithful student of the past, it was a moment I will remember for all time. I know how Blacks were discriminated, separated and threatened with violence just a few generations ago. I know their struggles, sufferings and the movers - from Martin Luther King to Malcom X who gave up their lives so that equality will be given to them. Who would have thought that in less than fifty years after the civil rights movement exploded, a Black person might actually become the most powerful person in the planet.
As O'Jay's Love Train blasted from the arena speakers, you see people of different color crying among the audience. Their eyes flooded with tears, I cannot help but share the jubilation and triumph they must have felt when Obama was declared the candidate of the Democrat party.
For a moment there, I sincerely wished I was an American.
Because major revolutions only happen once in a generation. A history has been made and much I would like to be part of it, I am not sure if the rest of humanity is ready for such changes. I rooted for an Obama-Clinton ticket but it didn't happen. Now the world is watching, with much enthusiasm and hope for changes in the American government.The fight now is not between progressives and conservatives, or the good or the bad.
It is a struggle for our collective future.
I just wish that in the future, history will claim that goodness had prevailed in our time.
---
People all over the world (Sisters and brothers)
Join hands (join, come on)
Start a love train (ride this train, y'all), love train (Come on)
- O'Jays, Love Train
photos courtesy of CNN
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