Another Election is over...and we are still HERE!
Well...another election is finally over and I can again say unequivocally that I am very proud to be a citizen of this incredible experiment called Democracy. I am NOT a Red American or a Blue American but an American! I wrote a post after the last Presidential Election, The Election is over...and we are still HERE! One more time, we have proven that we are one of the few countries that can witness the peaceful continuation of power in spite of all the rhetoric, impassioned argument and this time around, some of the most hateful, vitriolic and downright dishonest campaigning ever witnessed. I have not spoken out much and this will only my second political post ever but again I was very impressed and relieved by what I saw last night.
Though Florida, is, once again stuck in its ongoing dysfunctional election process (People waiting until after 1:00am to vote...Really?) the rest of the votes are tabulated and there was a clear winner. I am happy about this, no matter who came out on top. The 2000 election brought out the worst consequences and the hard feelings, accusations and turmoil were felt for years after. The pundits, politicians, talk radio loudmouths and TV commentators that have sought to divide us have no patriotism...they are only selling ad revenue. Fueling fear, anger and hatred has never been in the best interest of anyone. I am a middle of the road independent and see good ideas from both sides. I don't like the way folks are demonized just because they have slightly different ideas. Honestly, we are much closer than those who would seek to Balkanize us and divide a country whose first name is "UNITED"!
Watching Mitt Romney's concession speech, it had to be clear to even the most jaded of voters that he is a good man. He is a person who loves this country and wants to make it a better place. His words were filled with dignity and grace as he acknowledged his defeat. He paid tribute to our absolute need for the nation to come together,
"The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion. We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family."
His nod to President Obama, " This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation."And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.
President Obama's speech also recognized the enormous challenges facing our country and stressed again the importance of uniting as one nation in spite of those who worked so hard to divide us! I liked the fact that he was inclusive of Governor Romney in the future plan of our country, " In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward" .
And I believe he really wants this country to succeed as much as any other citizen when he said, "I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America."
"And together with your help and God’s grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth."
Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.
Today is Wednesday, November 7th, 2012 and it's great to be an American. I did not get everything I wanted out of this election (no one ever does) but I am proud to be a part of a political system that allows us to disagree (sometimes vehemently) and still move forward TOGETHER. It's now about 6:30pm here in Austin, Texas and I am home from a busy day at work. I am thankful to have a good job when so many are still out of work but I am encouraged that we seem to be making headway in our economy and hopefully beginning to work together to solve the many problems facing us as a nation. We HAVE to do this together and maybe even return to compromising to get something done. We will have to wait and see where this will take us all but again, I am still amazed at the way our great nation works and have to agree with the words of Tim Russert,
"What a Country!"
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