Proud Again

For the longest time I haven’t been very proud of this nation.  I know that Michelle Obama was criticized for that same sentiment, but I know what she was saying and so does anyone with half a brain.  How can anyone be proud of a nation that treats its citizens the way it does?  The elderly who live on fixed incomes are barely surviving.  Too many schools–usually the ones in urban centers–don’t have the resources they need.  We’re contributing to a world that will be uninhabitable for the following generations.  The women and men who return from our wars aren’t getting the help they need financially or medically.  And do I really need to remind anyone that racism still exists (take a gander at Fox News and listen to Ann Coulter or Sean Hennity spew their vile bile).  Honestly, I wasn’t proud of Bill Clinton’s shenanigans, and he has fallen far in my estimation as a result of his behavior during the campaign.  Still, we didn’t fight two wars at one time.  And there was money in the national bank.  I was further disappointed when our nation elected George W.  It got worse when the nation re-elected him.  “Are you crazy?” I thought.  “You know what he’s going to do.  You’ve already seen the damage he’s done.  Why would you vote for him?  Nothing will change except perhaps get worse!”  And of course, get worse it did.  So yes.  At last I have reason to be proud now.  That doesn’t mean I don’t worry.  Obama might have won the electoral college by a landslide, but that landslide doesn’t reflect the popular vote.  Obama received 53%.  We’re still divided and we have a whole bunch of healing to do.  However, I have faith in our nation and in Obama.  It takes both.