I generally try to keep politics out of my knitting blog, but I just have to say that I am so proud of our country today.
It's not just about our first black president (which is amazing!) or the major policy shifts we can expect (which we need so much). It's about what this says about us as a people.
The best life advice I ever received was: Behave like the person you want to be, and, over time, you will become that person.
That's what I saw in the American people last night. For so long, we have been stuck in "survival mode", acting out of fear, and worrying primarily about "me". This is a normal response to trauma, but it's not a healthy way to live.
Last night, our actions said that it's time to move on and start behaving as if we were the country of our national mythology. One that is dedicated to liberty and justice for all. One that believes that who your parents are should not dictate what you can achieve in life. One that believes that, while personal responsibility is critical, when we live in a community (whether town, country, or world) we have to live up to our responsibilities toward each other.
We do have a long way to go, and we can't just sit back on our couches and expect it all to be done for us, but we have made a wonderful beginning. And if we can harness even half of the energy that made this election possible, we can shut down guantanamo, fix our healthcare system, get the financial system back on track, and start earning the trust of the rest of the world again.
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