November 5, 2008

Yeah We Did

I waited in a line to vote for one hour today. I'd checked the line twice before, and skipped out on jumping line to deal with a girl whom I've had a crush on for some eight months for now...Goddamn it, I'm fucking voting. As said, I waited an hour, and at one point the dudes that were drinking beer got into it with some dude that was trying to park and he got in the way of an old lady and then there were the fuck words thrown and everyone looked and nothing happened. Oh, free speech God bless us if there were a god.

I got in the polls and I voted, voting in much the same way as I can imagine that much of you readers did. Maybe so and so didn't, that's at least what Buddy says, so...

We feel good that our guy won, and it's unambiguous who our guy is seeing the picture above. No shit, I teared up with Patriotism, for the first and I hope not the last time in my godloving lifetime. And I'm Agnostic, but I cried for my Nation.

And so it is here, right fucking now. We, as the young people, Young Turks in a different age, we stand at the precipice or the verge of opportunity, the place we all wanted to be and now we don't have a plan. Obama is the guy we could all have a beer with and also the guy we want to run our nation; weird, isn't it?, now that it's here? I'm optimistic, I think, know, want everything to work...

. I biked to the bar tonight. As I rolled down Cedar Avenue near the Triple Rock, there was an exultation of jubilation that erupted from a strictly Somali business merely a block and a half form the Trip Rock. The Campaign Was Done, and it was obvious. I retreated to the Triple Rock and watched McCain transform back into McCain, the classy, non-cheesy Maverick, who knows up form down and so forth and so on. While I only saw his speech in closed captioning, cheers to McCain, for his graciousness.

and so on and so forth

I'd drank and I'd drunk, and perhaps I was drunk, but I'd cut myself off at some point in the past to prepare myself to ride my bike home. I'd ended up at the Nomad and it was hopping, in terms. But really, the show was the aforementioned outcrying of Somali joy and, at this point, EVERYONE, wiliing out in the street, complete with cops and no robbers and they barricaded the streets with their cars and let the kids drum on.

I was walking my bike through the throng with a kid from my health class whose name I forget; it was French. Then I had the most exciting and logical idea that I'd ever had. Wow. Anyhow...I decided to claim myself as a journalist (marginally), and to ask the people nearest to me who they had voted for, where they lived, and if they'd known that an amazing scene would be happening here where it was now. Right?

I talked mostly to Somali women, and a couple of men, and after I'd claimed to be a journalist (towing a bike and no note pad to be seen), everyone was ready to talk to me. My first question was who they'd voted for, and it was undoubtedly for Obama, and immediately, they asked me, a relatively boring looking Caucasian, if I'd voted for McCain. I'd say no but they never believed me...Nobody knew that there was to be aparty at the site where we where, half the people were from the burbs and they just stumbled upon it...

We did something today.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well put munzy. I too teared up a bit, the only time I ever cried tears of joy besidedes the birth of my children. Hope has been restored to the country and the world in general. This was the wake up call we needed and there is a new guard now. All the racists and biggots are finally going to have to face the reality that the human race is finally advancing and we are finally seeing change

Anonymous said...

if boone voted for mccain he needs his head examined. A black gulf war vet voting for mccain? Wow! That's fucked up.

Anonymous said...

I hope you gave a vote to Al Franken

Unknown said...

I know exactly what you mean man. As I was watching the night unfold a strange feeling came over me... Pride... Pride for my country. In 25+ years of living, this feeling has never come over me. I am optimistic for the future, and I hope that that feeling will come again.

Anonymous said...

this is the best writing you've done in my opinion. this morning diego was playing with cars between my legs. i was listening to npr and obama's speech and i felt a welling up in my eyes as i looked at my child and saw hope. not just in my son or obama's words, but the whole feeling of it all. the positive feeling in the air. it's what we all want. we are finally done with the bush administration and the republican regime. we are in a historical time in the history of the world. change is here.

Anonymous said...

It was a tactful move to edit the so and so part of the post, however the damage has been done. If a white gulf war veteran voted for McCain would this be typical? to judge someone on how they voted and then base it on their skin color is RACISM!!! The same racism this person is calling others out on. I'm glad those who support Obama are hopeful but to call others racist and then call Boone fucked up is beyond weak

Anonymous said...

So its racist to say an african american should vote for obama? Shit, after all this country has done to keep us devided and make the african american race seem inferior, anyone in their right mind would vote for the man. The fact is that obama represents change and hope and if you can't see that you're an ingnorant individual, who's probably racist to boot

Anonymous said...

I feel that my hope for the country has been restored as well. I'm optimistic, but it's hard with such an economic shit storm on the horizon. At least now we have the best suited (in my opinion)person to guide us through it. This way we should be able to pull through with some of our social safety nets
intact. Cheers!

typoscura said...

i agree with nate. But then again, we also were in the same motha fuckin' precinct!!!!!


yehhhhhhh

Anonymous said...

We can all be optimistic for the future,but we also have 70 something days left for the Bush administration to fuck some more shit up.

Unknown said...

Broseph- beautiful words. It's cool to hear that other people felt something in the air that night like I did. Funny you said that they let the kids drum on; that's exactly what I was doing before rushing over to the bar to see Mccain concede. I too finally feel proud to call myself an American. A good part of the world celebrated for us that night

platinumseagulls said...

Thanks for the kind words about the post everyone. The idea hit me about half way through the bike ride home and once I arrived home and had typed things out, it was about twice as long as I'd expected.

I'd thought further, and we are truly a lucky generation. Thinking back, I think we were really were united after 9/11, in a shocked and awed way, and that allusion serves to point out what would ultimately be our ununiting factor; had Bush pressed on in a positive way, I think our newly think we'd have found this newly found patriotism long ago. But, as we know the goodwill from the world we had, and the good will we had throughout this country, was wasted, in oh so many ways. No need to elaborate.

Now we're here on November 5th, and were united and electrified; energized in a patriotic way that we never even knew was possible. I look back and think, thinking about past generations that had their moment of national identity; World War II, the election of President Kennedy, the Civil Rights Movement...and now right now; we may have been a part of a true turning point in American history, and we love it. We love it for the fact that we were a part of history, and we think things are going to be better. Let the moment not be fleeting, and let the cynics be proven wrong.

Anonymous said...

Since everyone knows "so and so" is me, I will give you some of my reasons for not voting for Obama, and some other points.

At first, I was going to vote for Obama, I knew nothing of either canidates plans, as I am sure a lot of people my age didn't either. I would get asked who I was voting for, and then I would respond "Who do you think I'm voting for?" The answer would be "Obama" 100% of the time, and why? Because of the way I looked. Now I am all about changes and having equal rights, black Presidents and so on. But I am also about my own rights, and after this election I was somewhat ashamed to be American why? Because so many people stated "Now, I can be proud to be American." I cannot and do not want to believe that someone, most of you, who haven't done shit for your community or country are ashamed to be an American. I don't see how after someone else achieves something ( something great mind you. ) you decide oh jeez, now is a great time to be an American. To the people who said this, what have YOU done to change ANYTHING? ask yourself that question. It seems most Americans forgot they have a voice, I don't hate Obama but his plans did not match up to things I want for myself. I am happy we have a HALF BLACK PRESIDENT because I AM ALSO HALF BLACK. But I want the right to own guns, I also believe national security is the #1 most important thing for the United States before anything else. Because that is our first line of protection and Obama's plan is to reduce that. If you want to talk to me more about this feel free to email me my first and last name ( no space ) at gmail. But I can't understand how these Americans can not see that they are the ones to make a difference ( and you did by voting ) not watching all these stupid TV shows that are biased. Its even been stated in this 12 comment thread that I should have voted for Obama, why? Because my color. Anonymous have you asked any vets who they are voting for? All of my Marine buddies voted for McCain, we don't think we should pull out of Iraq like that. We also don't believe its smart to tell the enemy what your plan is, even our boot private knows that one. I hope that Obama MAKES POSITIVE changes for Americans, not just represent it.

Oh, another reason I voted for McCain, my handicapped father is a small business owner and the business makes over 250,000 but he still struggles. So taxing him wasn't in my plans.
-Boone out

Anonymous said...

You weren't the only one who didn't vote for Obama. I would be happy if this amorphous, undefined "change" amounts to anything tangible without trampling my individual rights or if he will be just another politician shifting us gradually toward a socialist-based system. That's not my bag and I am proud to say I am in the minority with my vote. I do believe great things can happen in this administration, however with the election of the most liberal senator we have to represent a population best described as center left or right (depending who you ask)I hope he starts dashing towards the middle stat and "reach across the aisle" and not forget the other constituents he requested help from in his acceptance speech. The good news is the people have spoken and you get what you asked for. Voting with your emotions is not the best policy. This election was pivotal for our future, I hope that our next President can hit the ground running, there's much work to be done big-government liberal style and little available resistance from any conservatives. It is safe to say that the ball is in your court guys. Please don't drop it.

Respectfully Yours,

Chips

Anonymous said...

''reach across the aisle'' is politician speak for,''fuck the working man''

Anonymous said...

well spoken Mr. Boone and Mr. Holtan!

Anonymous said...

"But really, the show was the aforementioned outcrying of Somali joy and, at this point, EVERYONE, wiliing out in the street..."




doesn't it make you nervous that the same people who were celebrating when the towers fell are now celebrating obama's win? am i missing something?

Anonymous said...

You're missing perspective.

Anonymous said...

People that make 6 figure incomes will do just fine, I'm sure... If not they need to make some lifestyle changes... As me and my fam have done our entire lives... Peace.

Anonymous said...

McCain/Palin completely lost my vote after the V.P. debate. I also did not agree with millions in tax cuts to millionares. Apparently republicans seem to think that cutting taxes within every tax bracket up to millions of dollars per multi-millionare would benefit this country as a whole in some way. It only benefits the individual and with as many people as their are in this country and as divided as we are I just don't see any kind of growth as a nation with a tax plan like that. Morality was a another key issue in deciding who to vote for and I honestly felt as though the republican presidential campaign showed almost no morals. I lost it when I seen the b.s. misleading Joe The Plumber ads. The average plumber makes $47,000 a year. If you or your business makes $250,000 your taxes increase $274. Big deal I make that in 30 hours delivering pizza, I live in a mobile home, I have bad credit and my income would be considered next to nothing to ANYONE WHO VOTED FOR McCAIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE and getting a TAX INCREASE under the Obama administration yet they make well over $200,000 more than myself and still wanna bitch. I just hope with hard enough work from here on I can finish my education, find the right job, and make enough money, and someday, maybe someday reach that tax bracket and get my taxes increased. That increase would be the last thing you or anyone including myself would hear me bitch about.

Anonymous said...

Rich people and Polititions piss me off! haha. But so you know I voted for a 70-somethin year old OBGYN Ron Paul. HE believes in the constitution and so do I. Obama is doing good things just by making people pay attention. oh and Black people love him.
Ever see that Dave chappel show where the black president gets elected???

Anonymous said...

"Big deal I make that in 30 hours delivering pizza,"..... "yet they make well over $200,000 more than myself and still wanna bitch."

you're a pizza delivery driver you don't deserve to make $200,000 more!!! and you don't deserve to pay less in taxes because you don't make as much. your pay corresponds with the work you put into your job/life/whatever. they worked a lot harder than you (or have a better personality, or connections) to get their money, they deserve to keep THE SAME PERCENT AS YOU. of course they're gonna bitch if you're trying to take a higher percent away from them. that's punishing them for succeeding. i'm not siding with mccain or obama on this arguement, this has nothing to do with either of their sides, i'm simply attacking your communist style of thinking.

Anonymous said...

The way the United States works is with people working hard, saving money and then succeeding. Not buying houses they cannot afford, and expecting the government to bail them out. Thats why there is rental properties. People don't want to man up to their own mistakes, now they have someone to bail them out.