Perspective

I'm borrowing this from a friends blog...I thoroughly enjoyed it and whole-heartrendingly agree.

This is a guest post by Matthew Lorenzen, a history teacher originally from Arizona. His historical perspective is particularly valuable:

Barack Obama was criticized during his campaign for being a risky prospect-untried, inexperienced, etc. I have always agreed with that statement and still do because it is still true. Mr. Obama is relatively new to the world of politics, especially compared to a life-long politician like John McCain. Additionally, he will not take office for nearly 3 months and until then we can only speculate about what the future holds. Only time will tell if America made a wise decision last night or not.

Despite that whole debate, which only time will resolve, as an American history teacher, I wonder if we understand the magnitude of what has just occurred in our country. In my opinion, it is something that every American ought to be proud of, no matter who you were supporting during this election. While peaceful transitions of power from one political party to another have occurred plenty of times in this country's history, I am not sure that a transition of this magnitude has happened in some time, if ever. Right now I am teaching my students about the election of 1800, in which John Adams and the Federalists gave up power to a rising political party and their leader: Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. John Adams and the Federalists had had a miserable 4 years in office and much of the nation looked forward to the termination of their time in office. However, Adams and the Federalists still had a considerable amount of support throughout the country. The fragile new nation was bitterly divided along party lines as Jefferson and the largely untried Democratic-Republicans took office. When Jefferson was inaugurated, he made a statement, a plea, to the divided nation. He said, "We are all Federalists, We are all Republicans." I think it ironic, though not odd, that emerging from a very similar election last night, Mr. Obama repeated a plea, a statement, that he has been making for some time now: "We are not as divided as our politics suggests."

Now is not the time to cling to dogmatic party lines (on either side). Now is not the time for the Liberals to boast, nor is it the time for the Conservatives to damn the next 4 years and resign themselves to the doom that some may believe must beset America as a result of Barack Obama's election to the presidency. Yes, there may be a considerable Democratic majority in the Congress now, but I do not believe that Mr. Obama is so irresponsible and unreasonable as to allow that to turn into a liberal free-for-all. True, there may be some fairly dramatic policy changes, but I believe we ought to give those changes the benefit of the doubt until they are proven ineffective.

Last night was also historically significant for another reason that I am sure we are all already abundantly aware of by now. While the civil rights movement climaxed some time ago, the civil rights movement is not over but also a contemporary movement and a struggle today. Unfortunately, some Americans still foster racist feelings and tendencies, however latent they may be.

However, I am proud of our country today. Prejudice and racism have not vanished, but it says something about our nation when a majority of our population votes a man of color into the pinnacle of American politics. Now, that is not by any stretch of the imagination a statement saying that McCain supporters are racists, etc. I do not believe that for a second. I only think it a small miracle that we as a nation have come as far as we have.

When John Winthrop and the Puritans came to America in 1620, Winthrop told them that their community, indeed their country, ought to be a "City Upon A Hill" shining as an example and a "Model of Christian Charity." That American myth has lasted throughout the centuries of American history, being repeated perhaps most recently by Ronald Reagan, and I think it applicable today. I am proud of America today. I believe that we are shining unto the world, at least in this moment and situation. No matter how much some Americans may or may not dislike Obama and his policies, the mere fact that he was elected ought to make us all feel good about ourselves, our country, and what we ought to stand for.