Sometimes in the middle of January, it’s hard to remember the promise of summer.
And sometimes, in the midst of news about a troubled world economy and violence in Gaza, it’s hard to find hope.
But not today.
Today, I’ll join 450 students and staff members in our middle school auditorium to watch Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States.
Today, an African American will hold our nation’s highest office for the first time.
Today, Americans of all backgrounds will gather by the hundreds of thousands in Washington, DC . They’ve come by plane and car and bus to celebrate the leadership and promise of a man born in 1961 — when it was still illegal for blacks and whites to ride together on a bus in some southern states.
Today, I will sit with my students and listen and watch. I will fight back tears, unsuccessfully, I am sure. And together, we will celebrate how very far we have come as a nation.
Today, it will not be hard to imagine the possibilities.
I Pledge …
I was not an Obama supporter at the outset of the presidential campaign, and came to my decision to vote for him through long soul-searching, but I must admit that I am filled with hope. I love the way in which he vitalized the younger generation of America for it is you and your fellow young Americans who must find the way to renew our collective soul. I watched a video “I Pledge …” produced by Demi Moore and Ashton Keuton (? spelling) in which people spoke of their pledge to President Obama to help him make the United States of America and the world a better place. Some of the pledges were very simple, “I pledge to smile more;” something we all can do everyday. Personally, I pledge to take action to find a solution when something bothers me rather than just complain about. What do you pledge?
Re: I Pledge …
I love the spirit of this. I pledge to listen – really listen – when I disagree with someone. The way Obama has reached out to so many people with so many different beliefs has convinced me that there is so much more room for cooperation, even in the face of disagreement.
I am with you, in spirit at least.
I did the same with high school students black and white alike, on the other side of the country. We all cried, and were all in awe, and finally, for most of them, they have a reason to believe in our country.
No way did you get through that without kleenex. How thrilling to see that with your students.
Wasn’t it amazing! I watched in an auditorium filled with college students, most of whom were able to vote this year.
And the tears, they definitely flowed. Not only because we had an African American president, but because we also have women leaders in Congress.
Wooo