Not A Transformation

The thing that bothers The Kid about the hosannas concerning the election of President Obama has been the seeming rapidly solidifying concept that Obama somehow transformed the nation. As in, before Tuesday, America was an ignorant, racist society and Lo! Obama stretched forth his hand and the Land brought forth harmony and brotherhood!

Nothing is different about America now. The country has been like this for many decades now. The election of President Obama did not transform the country, but merely demonstrated an already existing fact. That America is a fundamentally decent society where race, gender and ethnicity have long become trivial concerns.

The Kid sees these people on TV, tears streaming down their cheeks, plaintively wailing, "I never thought I'd live to see this day!"

Which is insulting. Because it displays such horrible cynicism in their feelings about the country - until they were proved wrong.

Of course Kid Various thought he'd live to see this day. He assumed it. If it wasn't this election it'd be 2012 or 2016 or whenever. Yes it certainly wouldn't have happened 40 years ago. But then again they only had 3 black and white TV stations 40 years ago. It certainly could have happened 10 years ago. Probably 20 years ago as well.

This is a great nation. And even at points in our history where we have fallen short - we have always been moving forward. I'm as proud of America today as I was last week. Because this was not a transformation, it was just shining the light on what already was.