Friday, November 7, 2008

Impact, Part 2

Another story about the impact of this election in the lives of ordinary public servants. Here is A Butler Well Served by This Election.

And in the lives of ordinary black Americans, the election of Barack Obama opens the door to a new feeling of belonging. Here is Obama Victory Opens Door to a New Black Identity.

A brief comment on this article: It bothers me when I walk down the street, pass a black person and, rather than meeting my gaze and saying hello, they look down and only respond with a greeting if I greet them first. It bothers me not because I feel I need to be acknowledged. It bothers me because I sense an underlying feeling of inequality and that bugs me, because for me everyone is equal and I try to treat them thusly.

Since Tuesday, I've noticed a difference in the demeanor of many of my black neighbors. I'm noticing more of them are actually locking eyes with me and others and looking up. No longer are so many of them casting their eyes downward when they pass a white person. It is as if they are saying, "I can no longer be ignored and I will no longer be invisible." And to that I say, "Hoorah!"

The Boston Globe runs a beautiful series of 35 photos of our new president-elect. Here is the Big Picture.

And, this morning, my friend Alice over at Alice's Adventure's Underground sent me this article from Salon. The basic premise: Gen X'ers finally understand the passion of Baby Boomers. Here is A Gen X Response to Barack Obama: An Open Apology to Boomers Everywhere.

Finally, my friend Adriana, writer of What I Made for Dinner, writes about the effect of this election in her life. Here is The Audacity of Hope.

For someone who was going to stop doing round-ups once the election was over, I'm sure falling down on that, aren't I? Oh well.

3 comments:

Cele said...

I appreciate your coverage, but Gene's story ripped my heart out and shoved it down my throat, and that didn't stop the tears. I'll come back and read the rest later.

Cele said...

Okay I am composed and finished reading all the post. The pictures were amazing, expecially the one in Waterfront park, I think that was 79 percent of the people in Oregon and a few from Washington state.

The Gen X apology to Baby Boomers pissed me off (but I get annoyed easily I'm told...by my husband.) Adriana's post was excellent and thought provoking. But the first one still stole my heart and makes feel weepy all over again.

And I hope you keep doing your round up post. They are excellent and a service to those of us less read.

Maya said...

Speaking as a Gen X'er, I found some of that article to be untrue for me, but some of it was pretty accurate too. I wonder how old the author really is?