I’ve been comparing Obama to Lincoln for a long time. Lincoln freed slaves literally with his policies. I believe Obama is doing it metaphorically. When you work your whole career with nothing but an evaporated 401k and a raised retirement age (translation: bankrupt social security system) to show for it, you’re toeing the line of unconscious, self-inflicted slavery. But how can this be so in “The Land of the Free”?I love America. I’m thankful for everything this country is founded on, other than the genocide of a race of people. But how did so many of us become what Madeline Bunting would call “Willing Slaves?” I don’t know, and maybe you can enlighten me. For now, this article is about the sentiment at the Obama rally in Grant Park. A rally representing the culmination of a Hope and the Promise for Change.
Being a seasoned Chicago event-goer, as our cab turned onto Michigan Avenue, the scene was what I expected…amplified. What really put this one over the top was the 1964 Chevy convertible with a custom paint job reading “Obama ’08”. I wasn’t so much impressed by the masses as I was by garb reminiscent of a major sporting event. Did people sport FDR jackets and t-shirts back in the day?
Forty years after the shoot-to-kill order given by Mayor Richard J. Daley, I was proud to note the evolution of Chicago law enforcement. Not only did officers seem happy, their operations were reminiscent of a modern/contemporary art exhibit. Cavalry lined up at the main entrance, smiles overlooked protesters… and those mysterious blocked off pathways sat vacant amongst the crowd, creating a necessary sense of wonder and confusion.
In a sea of people where the wishy-washy water sound was replaced by the echoes of CNN reporters, my date and I headed northeast to find some space to move around. For some reason, certain parts of the park were dangerously cramped, some people even sitting on pavement. Perhaps they were captivated by the gentle mutterings of the dreamy David Gergan.
After claiming a stake of land in the North East quadrant of the park, we opened ourselves to the “bonding-with-strangers” process. We could sense that celebration was about to ensue. We took a picture or two, but really we were struck by the historical nature of the moment. Still, we couldn’t help but hear a voice whispering in our minds, “Remember, this is only one tiny moment in time!” Obama’s “Change” to me represents a new way of thinking. A collective decision to care for our each other and our environment, which are ultimately one in the same. Yet at the same time, we instinctively know that Obama is only a beginning to this process. We are still a ways away from “babies playing in the cobra’s den” ~Bible.
The exciting thing is that in order to get where we want to be, Obama reminds us that WE have to find, even create, the way. The responsibility is on our shoulders. No more expecting jobs, expecting protection, expecting creative progress. Obama needs and wants us to get involved!
After the Emancipation Proclamation, I imagine slave owners rushing to find legal replacements. By promising rewards at the ENDS of long careers, these less-than-neo-humans were able to keep workers reliant on their employment “opportunities”. Did workers ever hear, “YOU make it happen… YOU can do it. YOU make this country what it is!”? This is the message Obama sends. This is why people pay money to wear t-shirts, hats, shoes with his name on it. He has risen above his individuality to embody something greater. We may not be slaves, but I certainly feel a little bit more free with Barack Obama as president-elect.
Check out my slideshow from the rally here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvxqXH81TNE
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