Election: what’s all the fuss about?

For the first time in my adult life, this truly is a historic election.

Every four years they tell us how “historic” the election will be. And they always seem to tell us that the “young people” will be “rocking” the vote. And every four years I think “what a bunch of hooey.”

But this year is different. We really do have a historic moment on our hands. We could elect the first black man to the highest office in the land and the most powerful position in the world. That is truly amazing. Barack in the White House will truly transform the way our nation perceives “black people” in a way that nothing else could. Young black boys and girls today will live in a world where they can honestly believe that anything is possible for them.

That’s not to say that racism is going away. Far from it. But it is to say that today, our nation could model for the world what it really means to be a pluralistic democratic society. Considering the last two elections that is quite an accomplishment.

Today is not only a great day for ethnic and racial minorities. It’s a great day for the idea of the American Dream. The dream is worth preserving, but it is also worth amending. Obama does both for us, in one pull of the voting booth lever. He reminds us that here, unlike most other places in the world, people can rise from anywhere to achieve greatness. And he also reminds us that all of us are in this thing together. Obama will be our president – my president – as much as he is anyone else’s – because he exemlifies what it means to dream that dream. And the dream is not about a big house or a new car. It is about acheiving greatness through the bountiful opportunity our nation has always tried to provide. Greatness will mean more than making money or becoming famous. With Obama in the White House, we can hope that the American dream will be about making our nation great again – with liberty and justice for all.