Okay so I can now breathe and rid myself of the guilt of being in this country. I know Obama is not really all that he is made out to be, but he is not Bush. More than the color of his skin (even though I do realize the significance of a Black President), it is his diverse background and life experiences that make me respect what he has achieved today. Every one has been talking about history being made and all that. I don't understand the big deal with this maybe because I haven't really seen history being made anywhere around me in my life before this, but today I could just feel it in the air. My whole campus came to a stand still this morning. Every building had TVs turned on and students, faculty, staff, everyone was glued to the screen. I went to pick up my hard drive (which is the other good news btw) and these four people in the office looked confused and annoyed when they saw me enter. Obama's speech was on! Yes, its true. I did not watch his oath or speech. I walked out of that building to find the generally crowded pathway absolutely deserted. I saw TV screens through dark tinted windows all around me. Even in my own building, TVs seemed to pop up everywhere. Feeling strangely nice I went to my car and drove home. I had a lovely lunch of freshly baked croissants, peppered turkey and pound cake with apple juice while I watched the replays of all that I missed in the morning. Then I decided to skip class and celebrate the new President by watching the inauguration parade and eating more pound cake. Even my parents stayed up till midnight in India to watch Obama's speech! And it was when he said "America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity", that for the first time I felt welcomed in this country.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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7 comments:
Obamama is a POLITICIAN. People seem to have forgotten that. He'll have his own shortcomings and unkept promises.
And that last line goes well with rampant tourist visa rejection by US embassies overseas and their new electronic registration requirement for EEC nationals.
America is good at dramatizing things, that's all. (Look at American Idol.) Their media have turned this election into an Oprah show.
I think the Indian media has made it far more dramatic than the media here. And after 8 years of having someone like Bush be their President, I think American citizens have a right to rejoice. For Obama, being African American with a middle name like Hussein, to have been elected President is really a HUGE deal in the American context. He really is not just a politician if you look at all that he symbolizes.
Yes, he is human and not the remedy to all of the world's problems, but at least he is far more responsible, tactful, and intelligent than the previous 'most powerful man in the world'.
Take your cynicism elsewhere, and let me bask in Obama's glory while it lasts :P
I don't care what anybody says, but I'm just kicked that Obama is Mr. President finally!
We booked a conference room at work and watched Obama while having lunch. There's something about him that makes me want to trust him even though he is a politician. I never would have thought I would have uttered those words. It is just so sad that we take it for granted that our leaders (all across the world) are corrupt and incompetent and never have the greater good in mind. This man is different. He better be different. I don't expect him to fix everything, but if he tries to do what's right to the country/world to the best of his knowledge based on common sense, then maybe we will able to restore a tiny bit of faith in politicians.
NC,
I think the whole nation( and the world) is riding the wave of optimism- whcih is a good thing and thats what we need in these tough times. We need a President who is trustworthy, responsible and above all respectable. I feel like I can trust him and leave it up to him- he may not fix everything, but I feel confident that he will do the best possible in the given circumstance. and THAT is a far cry from what we had with the previous Mr. President, who for all practical purposes was a national joke!
To be real frank, the whole race angle irritates me.. people should be celebrating the fact that he came from the grassroots level- a boy abandoned by his father and not born into a traditionally political family becoming the MOST powerful man in the world!! If THAT is not inspiring , I don't know what is!
sorry for the HUGE rant!I should probably take this to my own blog :)
AB and Daisy: Thank you very much for your comments. Glad to see some optimism around here! It's important to have faith in other people (who deserve it), otherwise we'll all turn into cynics like Mr. Perakath here :)
hey I missed this post! :(
So completely agree with you and all the others who`ve commented, except Perakath!
have nothing more to add except my whole hearted agreement.
I wish we had someone like him back home..
I agree, Piper.
I was thinking of the same thing - we need someone who is young and educated and optimistic and secular and fair and just and honest.
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