Photo by Val Cavalheri of The Washington Post

I read criticism on a message board this morning of individuals stating that they are “finally proud to be an American.” These people should not be criticized, but let me revise their statement slightly. I am finally proud to be an American again. On the same wavelength, I have never been more proud to be a lifelong resident of Virginia, a state that went blue last night for the first time in 44 years. In the photo above, I was standing outside of Little River Elementary, a precinct in South Riding, Virginia that Barack Obama won by 12 votes. Handfuls of people of all ages and races drove by and gave me an enthusiastic car honk or thumbs up. I never thought I would see this sort of reaction in my own county, a place that, until recent memory, was ruled by Evangelical Republicans. If you hear someone say this week that they are finally proud again, it is because there hasn’t been much not to be ashamed of in this country over the last eight years. Barack Obama isn’t going to instantly fix America the moment he steps into the White House in January, but his landslide victory indicates that America is tired of being looked down upon as a nation. More importantly, this country is tired of being divided. Even if you didn’t vote for Obama, every competent American should be thrilled by the sheer fact that a country that appeared so hopelessly divided at the start of Bush’s second term has turned the entire world on a dime by electing an African American President a mere four years later.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America. ~Barack Obama

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