Thursday, August 28, 2008

45 Years Later

Okay, here goes...

How many of you out there have waited 45 years for anything? Odds are less than half of you. I haven't. My odometer will roll over 31 in late November. And I don't really even have a firm grasp on more than maybe 18 of those years. So to say that someone has waited 45 years for something is foreign to me. But the fact that I have those 18 remember-able years as a basis I can realize the weight of those 45 years. Does that make sense?

Anyway, why am I going on about waiting 45 years? Well, there are a lot of people that have waited 45 years for tonight. And when I say 45 years, I really mean a lifetime. Many have died, some of old age or illness, and many of painful, horrific deaths at the hands of those who hated them for no other reason than they were told they were supposed to. But here we are today, on the cusp of history. Something will happen tonight that will be a first. Many thousands, millions of us will stare agape in the soft blue light of our televisions and witness something so positive, so life (and death) affirming that has not been witnessed perhaps since the moon landing.

So, what happened 45 years ago?



Today marks the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Those inspirational words have resonated throughout the conscious of America since 1963. And tonight, Barack Obama will be the first black American to accept the nomination of Candidate for President of a major party.

And as King said, "1963 is not an end, but a beginning." I think that is a fitting quote for 2008 as well.

As a white man, I cannot fully appreciate what these 45 years, these lifetimes, have truly meant. But as Dr. King said, "For many of our white brothers, as evidence by them being present here today, have come to realize their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

As black Americans said yesterday (taken from CNN.com):

"I was overcome by joy," said Henry March, a civil rights attorney. "This is one of most significant events in American history."

"I think about all the suffering, all the pain all the hurt of so many people," said Rep. John Lewis. "What you see happening here tonight (8/27) is the down payment of the fulfillment of dream of Martin Luther King," he said. "Just a few short years ago in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, many people of color could not even register to vote and now, these people are voting for an African-American."

"I wanted to be on the floor, not only as a Democrat, as an American, but clearly as an African-American. When I was a little girl, I never thought I'd see this day. I never thought I'd see a viable female candidate, viable minority candidate get this far," CNN contributor and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile said.

"It was an amazing moment -- not for African-Americans -- for Americans," CNN contributor Roland Martin said.

I encourage anyone who reads this to make sure to watch Obama's speech tonight, it shouldn't be hard to find; just turn on the TV.

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