And Justice Flowed …
November 5th, 2008 by Sonja

Celebrate

So …

Where were you when?

Where were you when John Glenn Neil Armstrong (thanks BroKen) walked on the moon?

Where were you when …

… the first man of African-American descent was elected president?

I’m going to remember every step of this process.  I’m going to relish it.

Sometime last weekend it was announced that the final rally of Obama’s campaign would be literally in my backyard.  In my hometown.  Less than two miles from my house, on Monday evening.  So CoachWonderWoman and her daughter, LightGirl and I all walked to the appointed place.  We stood around watching the people and wondering for about three hours.  There was an amazing cross-section of people at the rally.  There were young and old, of every ethnic background and all walks of life.  We could have been in an airport, or on a street corner, or in a bus station.  There was everyone there.  Everyone.  (And some bad music.  I don’t know who was in charge of the live music, but it was horrid.  Think Bill Murray Lounge Lizard.  Ugh.  They played “Celebrate” by Kool & The Gang and I thought I was in the world’s largest elevator.  And I discovered that I can hear “Beautiful Day” too many times in one evening – five, for the record)  It was a typical political rally and hearing Obama speak was wonderful.  I’m glad we saw him (microscopically) in person.  I’m glad we had the experience of being amongst fellow supporters and seeing what that was like … that was more important to me.  Apparently, there were about 80,000 of us packed into that field.  I still can’t quite get my head around that.

Yesterday I walked to my polling place alone.  Both children were otherwise engaged and LightHusband had a meeting.  He was going to vote later.  My polling place just so happens to be in a middle school which was once the place of worship for a church I used to go to (my CLB1).  Usually the voting room is in the chorus room in the back.  But yesterday in anticipation of long lines and increased voter turnout, they had moved the voting to the cafeteria.  This happened to be the very place where we used to worship.  I didn’t really take note of this until after I’d left.

I went to where my last name lined up with the letters and waited my turn … less than a minute.  I noticed a table off to the left groaning with snack food for poll workers.  Then it was my turn and I handed my voter registration card to the people at the table, they asked me for my identifying information, assigned me number 243 and I went to await a booth.  I got to the booth and was overwhelmed with exuberance.  I don’t know.  I just got happy.  Everytime I hit a button on the touch screen I had to do a tiny jig.  Well, this was a little bit too much for the tiny little African-American lady who was attending my booth.  I think she was worried I was going to knock it over or something.  She was smiling at me, yet nervous.  When I was done and she handed me my sticker, she also gave me a big hug.  Then I promptly tried to walk out the wrong doors! and everyone hollered, “Ma’m you’re going the wrong way!!”  oops.

What a ninny.  So I turned around with a big grin on and all the poll workers were smiling at me.  So I waved and shrugged and went the right direction.  And told them I had the blonde streaks applied for a reason!!

Then I came home and giggled the whole way.  I wore my sticker with pride.  For the first time since my first time voting (1980), I’ve been excited about a candidate.  I’m inspired.   I’m inspired because Obama gets scripture; he quotes it regularly and not just the easy, well-known stuff … he quoted from Amos last night.  And I’m inspired because he gets the “social contract” in a way that many of our latter-day leaders have not … to whit:

His triumph was decisive and sweeping, because he saw what is wrong with this country: the utter failure of government to protect its citizens. He offered a government that does not try to solve every problem but will do those things beyond the power of individual citizens: to regulate the economy fairly, keep the air clean and the food safe, ensure that the sick have access to health care, and educate children to compete in a globalized world. (italics mine for emphasis)  From today’s NYTimes editorial

In other words, there are things that are the responsibility of the government and things that are the responsibility of us as individuals.  Give us the empowerment to do our thing and then do the stuff that is the responsibility of the government.   Give us the the space to do things locally in our communities to bring about change where ever we are and in the things that impassion us.  And, well … that is the way to truly change history.


14 Responses  
  • Peggy writes:
    November 5th, 200812:02 pmat

    Sonja … as I mentioned at Janet’s blog, I truly hope and pray that Obama will be able to pick up Dr. King’s mantle and wear it well.

    I am also hopeful that he puts together a coalition of wise and diverse advisers in his cabinet that will help him lead our government to do what is right for our great country–all of it.

    I pray that the Democrats have learned something useful from the series of arrogant mistakes the Republicans made when they claimed a mandate — and don’t assume that this historic event gives them license to coerce but rather provides an amazing opportunity to influence and lead.

    I appreciated Obama’s words to those whose vote he did not win, and pray that he will continually more toward his goal to facilitate the healing and reconciliation of our fractured nation.

    He was not my choice, for a variety of reasons, but he will be my president and I will look for every opportunity to support him.

    Shalom….

           
  • Lyn writes:
    November 5th, 20083:27 pmat

    LOL! I can picture you jigging! The presidential election was a momentous and great result for the US and the world. History has almost gone full circle.

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 5th, 20084:20 pmat

    I figured since Obama is going to do my charitable giving for me, I will reduce the amount I give myself. I am betting a lot of people will do this too. Of course, I would rather choose who I donate to myself rather than have the government do it for me. I am not excited. I am scared. Whoop de do he’s black: I wouldn’t care if he’s pink: he scares me. I was going to start my own business but quite frankly, since Obama will take more the more I make anyway, I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to wisely use my skills to barter for goods and services when I can. At least the government hasn’t found a way to tax THAT yet. I am sure they will once they catch onto it though. Anything to make sure that people who work hard are forced to subsidize lazy slugs who want to work the system. Now whether I want to or not, I am also going to be forced to give goods to illegal immigrants. What a joke. Why don’t they stop calling them “illegal” if they are just going to open the gates to any and all who want to come right on in. No other country in the world would allow this. I would rather make my own free will choice by helping truly needy people directly or giving to a group that does AFTER I have assessed that they are really helping and not enabling. It is bad enough that I was right on the dividing line when I applied to law school and no doubt some gay/minority etc got in over me simply because the school wants to get more “diverse” They actually come out and say it. They really need to remove “we do not discriminate” from their materials because nowadays, thanks to affirmative action, they DO discriminate. However, since it is against straight whites, it is perfectly legal. In the end of course, God is still on the throne because time wise, it was really a bad idea, however, it does fry me that I am almost certain that if I was a minority, or better yet a GAY minority, I would have been in like Flynn.
    Note: please don’t accuse me of being racist. Simply because I believe we should be REALLY colorblind instead of just flip flopping who we discriminate against does not make me “racist”

           
  • Alaina writes:
    November 5th, 20086:03 pmat

    Sonja,

    I was in my living room and I couldn’t believe it. I still cannot believe it. And I really appreciated McCain’s speech, I think he handled himself well, considering a defeating loss.

    And Obama’s speech was top notch – and I completely agree with you about the quotations of scripture…I like that too.

    And, I sort of wish that Liz was kidding, but I don’t think you are kidding, are you Liz?

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 5th, 20089:09 pmat

    no, I am not. I have a real problem with hard working Americans being taxed up the yin yang while irresponsibility increases amongst those dependent on the government dole. I am all for private sector charity. that way, you can be much better sure you are actually helping people while sending the lazy slugs on their way. I found quite an interesting article today. I think this sums up the feelings of many Americans. I also notice that a lot of those who think Obama’s socialist agenda is so nifty are those who don’t have a whole lot to lose and everything to gain. I am also very willing to bet that those who DO have substantial assets who voted for Obama were busy with their accountants this very morning to make sure that THEIR wallet isn’t the one being raped. Its all well and good if you are forcing someone else to pony up. It sounds downright virtuous. But when it is YOU who is suddenly scrimping and saving because of a bigger tax bite whilst you see able bodies bums lounging around wanting handouts, it suddenly takes on a bit of a different flavor, doesn’t it? Yes, I know there are people who are really in need. But I would rather help them directly than let the government make maximum inefficient use of my tax dollars (as they are so prone to do). And at the same time, I can have at least some control over whether I am actually helping someone who needs a hand up OR who is incapable of providing for themselves as opposed to providing an incentive for some individuals to become lazier and make more unwise choices because they figure the government will always be there to bail them out and cushion them from the effects of their actions.

           
  • Sonja writes:
    November 5th, 20089:54 pmat

    @Peggy … as usual, I so appreciate and value your reasoned and balanced response. We may see politics from a different perspective, but that doesn’t stop us from finding common ground.

    @Lyn … yes, history has almost gone full circle. Certainly some old wounds have been given a balm that they have needed.

    @Alaina … welcome and thank you. I, too, loved McCain’s concession speech. I wish there had been more of his heart like that on the campaign trail. It was really beautiful. That was a great moment in our political history. I also loved the moment in Obama’s acceptance speech where he reached out to McCain’s supporters saying that he had yet to win them over and acknowledging that we all need to work together to overcome the enormous challenges that lie ahead of us as a nation.

    @Liz … I might mention to you that it would be helpful if you would familiarize yourself with the tenets of socialism. Then familiarize yourself with Obama’s actual platform, rather than the spin you’ve heard. You will find that there is an enormous difference between the two. In addition, the largest transition of wealth in the history of mankind took place last month … only it went from the middle class to the wealthy. It was called socialization of debt. It is also known as “the bailout.” This was strong-armed by a Republican president in order to protect his peers. So … please stop with the empty rhetoric. :-)

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 6th, 20083:27 amat

    now, I am supposed to believe that some liberal propaganda mouthpiece is actually representing things accurately??? I take what they are saying with a HUGE grain of salt. And how else would you describe “spreading the wealth around”??? I would like to choose who I am going to help instead of subsidizing some lazy fertile (unmarried) baby factory that is churning out more of the same like nobodies business. I would like to choose whether I help people down on their luck or truly unable to care for themselves instead of the government deciding for me that the idea of citizenship is a joke and handing my hard earned dollars over to some illegal alien who finds the idea of rules to be a novel concept.

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 6th, 20083:35 amat

    soooo…let me ask you this Sonja: what are YOU willing to sacrifice??? Are YOU willing to downsize (I have seen photos on your blog of your home: very nice. Nice furniture and decor too). Are you willing to move into a doublewide so you can afford to hand it over to the slacker’s of America??? Are you willing to tell your daughter “no” to her hockey (an expensive sport) so as to have more to hand on over to the poor and needy??? No??? I thought not. I love how liberals are always volunteering other people’s hard earned cash but never their own. It is very easy to put down “other” people’s lifestyle’s while somehow excusing your own. I am not going to apologize for the fruits of my labors. I help other people but it is by a VERY biblical concept: it is called “free will”. As opposed to giving that is forced by the threat of jail time if you don’t.
    I will tell you what: my mother is from Britain. This means I have spent a fair amount of time across the pond visiting the fam. I know of guys, able bodied guys, that could easily be doing some manual labor but who instead are happy to be “on the dole” and hanging out in the neighborhood pub having a good time. Not that there is anything morally wrong with hanging out and having a good time, but when someone’s leisure is being financed by someone else being robbed of their hard earned cash, then there is a problem. I don’t think “sugar daddy” is a visual we really want associated with government, is it?

           
  • Sonja writes:
    November 6th, 20087:43 amat

    LOL … this is fun and funny.

    Liz, did you even read the link I provided? I’m guessing you did not. Otherwise, your response might have been a little more balanced … like the piece I linked to. Please go read it. I promise … it won’t bite. 😉

    Have you forgotten that we did not elect a king? We did not elect an autocrat? We elected a president. He is not all powerful. He cannot just wave laws into being. What on earth are you so afraid of? And while you’re busily ranting about giving your money away to “able-bodied guys standing around on street corners” why aren’t you ranting about giving it away to multi-millionaires who busted our financial systems with greed? Is there really any difference … other than in scale? I don’t think so.

    Five words Liz and until you can give me a good solid argument that defeats it, just keep quiet:

    Seven hundred billion dollar bailout

    That’s socialism. Huge! Huge.

    So don’t whine to me about what **might** happen in the future until you’ve got a good answer for what has ALREADY happened in the past with a good ole boy conservative. Right? Right. :-)

           
  • Schuyler writes:
    November 6th, 200810:11 amat

    What strikes me the most in all this talk of Obama’s “socialism,” which is to real socialism as caffeine-free diet coke is to Coca-Cola syrup, is that it is opposed most vehemently, in my local experience, by those who claim to desire a return by the US to its status as a “Christian Nation.”

    What could be more Christian than communally deciding to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give drink to the thirsty? What could be more Christ-like than giving someone your shirt and jacket when all he asked for is your jacket? And if we don’t want to do that as a nation, maybe we don’t really want to be a Christian Nation after all.

           
  • BroKen writes:
    November 6th, 200812:52 pmat

    John Glenn never walked on the moon or even got close. You want Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin.

    Enjoy your euphoria. I hope it lasts. I also hope Obama’s words of reconciliation match his actions. I’m not holding my breath. The economic distress is troubling but much more is Biden’s promise of an international incident. Yes, Biden said we would find that Obama has a steel spine. But what, really, what has Obama done that demonstrates that kind of spine? For all our sakes I hope Biden is right about the spine but I am skeptical. After all, Biden also said of Obama, “The presidency (of the US) is no place for on-the-job training.” Which Biden do you believe and why do you believe it?

    On the other hand, the nation has just rejected a most honorable, decent, experienced and strong leader. If people couldn’t see that before his concession speech, well, they were willfully blind. Quite sad for all of us.

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 6th, 20085:00 pmat

    Just because I don’t like Obama doesn’t mean I exactly approved of Bush’s actions anyway. The reality is that usually it comes down to a lesser of two evils. These days, the Republicans are not a whole lot better than the Dems.
    We didn’t elect a king…no..based on the hype we just elected a messiah. Scary stuff there.
    Maybe he WILL follow through and do good stuff but as Ken said above, I am not holding my breath.
    As for helping others: two words: FREE WILL. Scripture tells CHRISTIANS to help others, not governments. The government, as even you will admit, is a very inefficient deliverer of services. Further, many of the people the government “helps’ are perfectly capable of helping themselves if the incentive to make good decisions is removed. Note I am not denying that there are those who DO need help but I think they are in the minority. All the time I see people who are in real need denied because they make a couple of thousand dollars a year too much while sluggards who could be working keep spawning (with a different daddy each time of course). This of course is the way the GOVERNMENT delivers services. Private charities can make decisions based on real need not some arbitrary useless standard.
    And yes, I looked at your link. All we have to go on is their “official” words. And I don’t give those a huge grain of salt, as I already said.
    The thing is too is for the first time in recent history, we have the senate and the executive branch from the same party. So much for balance.
    Personally I think that God is judging America and handing us over to our own degeneracy.

           
  • Liz writes:
    November 6th, 20085:02 pmat

    besides, you did not answer my question Sonja: are YOU willing to downsize your lifestyle considerably so you can subsidize people who don’t have the sense to prepare for life??? So are you???

           
  • Sonja writes:
    November 6th, 20085:23 pmat

    Liz … your questions are impertinent and immaterial so I won’t answer them.

    And your memory is terribly short. Congress and the Presidency have shared a party twice since I’ve been a voting adult: the 103rd Congress (first two years of President Clinton) and the 107th Congress (first two years of President GWBush). It was also true during the 95th Congress during the first two years of President Carter’s presidency. So … that’s three times in recent memory that we’ve been out of balance. We haven’t died yet. Perhaps God is actually giving us a Christian nation … see Schuyler’s comment.

           


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