As for my reactions…of all of the stuff I have read since, LibertySugar seems to have summed up the speech quite well. This was an Obama unlike any I had seen before…and I liked it.
Last night I saw Americans who have been hiding in the shadows of apathy or cynicism come out and get excited about the future of their country. Americans who showed that they can wait in a line for hours, just to participate in a celebration of their power to make a difference.
Barack Obama's speech stressed individual and mutual responsibility. He said Democratic leadership, and an Obama presidency, would not do everything for Americans. It would, though, help them accomplish the things they cannot do for themselves, like protect the country from national security threats in Afghanistan, and give those who do not have bootstraps a pair so they can pull themselves up into the promise of middle-class prosperity. And while he was at it, Obama fiercely made the case that John McCain has and will turn his back on America's urgent needs because he just doesn't get it.
I say this was the most American experience I've ever had because truly, I've never seen a group of Americans come together to, politics aside, ultimately celebrate the democracy that makes our country so great. I'm grateful to Barack Obama for opening up the convention so that so many people…from those like myself who have been working on this campaign for the past 18 months, to the older generation who have seen so much change already in this country watching it continue to move forward, to the wide-eyed kids we so desperately need to engage to pull out of a trend of apathy to keep our country moving, thriving and prospering. I can debate people about policy issues, etc…but I find it truly offensive when the other side tries to turn an event like this one into a negative thing based on quoteunquote celebrity…what could be negative about 80,000 people coming together, taking time off of work/school, standing in line for hours, celebrating the very foundation of this country. How could something that excites so many people to actually involve themselves in politics be bad? You see, that is where we'll see change…not necessarily from an Obama presidency, but from what will stem from one…millions of people, all ages, all colors, all classes and all creeds, coming out of the haze that resulted in this society of complacency, to get involved, stay involved, hold our leaders…all the way from the city council and school board up through the state legislature and governor and to the halls of the United States House and Senate…accountable to we the people. You could have stripped away the fancy stage, entertainment and fireworks and every single person in that stadium, and millions more watching from home, would have been there, just as engaged, because Barack Obama has opened the collective eyes of the nation to see that our continued involvement and passion will lead to the change that will fulfill the potential of America.
I say this was the most American experience I've ever had because truly, I've never seen a group of Americans come together to, politics aside, ultimately celebrate the democracy that makes our country so great. I'm grateful to Barack Obama for opening up the convention so that so many people…from those like myself who have been working on this campaign for the past 18 months, to the older generation who have seen so much change already in this country watching it continue to move forward, to the wide-eyed kids we so desperately need to engage to pull out of a trend of apathy to keep our country moving, thriving and prospering. I can debate people about policy issues, etc…but I find it truly offensive when the other side tries to turn an event like this one into a negative thing based on quoteunquote celebrity…what could be negative about 80,000 people coming together, taking time off of work/school, standing in line for hours, celebrating the very foundation of this country. How could something that excites so many people to actually involve themselves in politics be bad? You see, that is where we'll see change…not necessarily from an Obama presidency, but from what will stem from one…millions of people, all ages, all colors, all classes and all creeds, coming out of the haze that resulted in this society of complacency, to get involved, stay involved, hold our leaders…all the way from the city council and school board up through the state legislature and governor and to the halls of the United States House and Senate…accountable to we the people. You could have stripped away the fancy stage, entertainment and fireworks and every single person in that stadium, and millions more watching from home, would have been there, just as engaged, because Barack Obama has opened the collective eyes of the nation to see that our continued involvement and passion will lead to the change that will fulfill the potential of America."The change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it—because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. America, this is one of those moments."—Barack Obama
No comments:
Post a Comment