Well, the day has finally arrived….it’s official at 12:01 p.m. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!
I have a confession to make, I am not patriotic. I am not one of those people you will hear defending America. I couldn’t talk about how “great” this country was when all around it, people were being killed for no other reason than being black. People resumes were being thrown into “file 13″ no matter how qualified they were for the job, or there was always some rationale to explain why the black person wasn’t promoted and yet, the white person was qualified to be” trained ” for the position. The Pledge of Allegiance rang as hollow words in my ear…with liberty and justice for all…yeah, right.
I think the first time I saw genuine “hope” for this nation was last summer when a young black couple moved into an area known as “old metairie” not too far from New Orleans. Old Metairie is practically all white and was once where David Duke(KKK Grand Wizard) resided. The couple moved there because they wanted an area that was safe to raise their children. Well, the couple went to bed and woke up with KKK and crosses burned into their front lawn. The newpaper ran a story about it and long story short, on the 4th of July, people from all walks of life..Whites, Blacks, Jewish and Asians..about 2-300 people took turns to dig up the hate symbols and plant a new”lawn of love” for them. I was like,WOW. Then, I went to the NOLA blog for that area and the people who lived in the area were blogging things like,”we’re just trying to live in harmony” and how that is the “old way” of thinking and that they don’t want that hate-filled thinking in their area. I was like,DAMN…in old metairie?
No, Obama did not give me my first glimpse of “Hope” or “Change”….Old Metairie did.
I am sitting here in the comforts of my warm home, looking at the mass of people out there for this day. We thought about going but, me and crowds don’t do well together and I hate being cold so, we decided to stay home and switch to all the different stations and watch everything. Pretty much like I do for Mardi Gras when I don’t HAVE to be out there. It looks like the America of my heart. People from all walks of life, coming together for the good of this country. WE THE PEOPLE is what it looks like to me..finally.
Do I think racism is over…NO. I think racism will be here until the second coming. There will always be someone, somewhere who thinks that way. The beauty of it all though is, they are falling deeper and deeper into the minority.
As I’ve said before, I’m not patriotic…at least, I wasn’t. I have a feeling that is about to CHANGE. I am beginning to have HOPE for our country in a way that I’ve never had before. Thanks President Obama and thanks to Old Metairie for giving this southern, cynical girl…..a new pair of glasses.
The Life and Times of Bayoucreole 