Proud to be an American
Yesterday morning as I stood in line to vote, I saw that my 19-year-old daughter had left me a cell phone message.
"I just voted for the first time!" she declared with excitement. "And I'm proud to be an American." What stirring words to hear from a young person. I'm proud to be an American today as well. I'm proud that we have the right and freedom to passionately express our views and disagree with one another, mostly with civility. I'm proud that the process works. I'm proud that following our horrific history of slavery and racial violence and discrimination, an African American is now our President. Whether you voted for Obama or not, that has to fill you with at least some measure of pride. It's not that everything is all fixed and the racial divide has been forever bridged. But there is hope today. My heart is filled with hope.
Chicago is an electric place today. I sure wish I could have joined my older sister and thousands of others in Grant Park. What a historic event! So today, let us all come together and pray for our new leaders and seek to make this country stronger. Like my daughter, Samantha, I hope you are proud to be an American.