Huzzah!

On Tuesday afternoon last, after voting, I found myself on a street corner, just up the street from my house, near the Catholic church, where my precinct votes. I stood with other supporters of equality, among them a young man named Adam (how fitting) and waving a "No on 8" sign and smiling at passers by - swept up in the passion and catharsis of this election. These people driving by are my neighbors, my friends, my students. I am suddenly so OUT. And I cannot think of where else I would rather because it is on that street corner that I know I'm not alone.

School lets out, and two of my 14 year old son's friends, young men I have also known for years, walk by. They see me with the sign and one says "Huzzah!" It is an amazing thing to witness the change among our young people. Tolerance where there was once hatred.

Prop 8 will probably lose on the popular vote. Yet I hear there are Constitutional challenges already in the works. Of course - it is PRECISELY this kind of issue that we want protection from the tyrranny of the majority, until the majority comes to its senses.

Remember (I do) when a person of color did not have the same rights as "white" person? I remember the hatred, the fear. And yet today we have a president elect who happens to be a person of color. I didn't vote for him because of his color. I voted for him because of his message, and Presence, and leadership.

One day we will have this same indifference toward sexual orientation. May it be so.

In the meantime, our Constitution will protect those who need it.

The news tonight says we are no longer ugly Americans. Geez, I hope it's that simple. I'm remembering all those conversations and connection with people I met in Spain, especially my fellow teachers from Morrocco with whom I spent such a magical evening in Salamanca in Summer 2007. I'm so hoping they are noticing what has happened here in The U.S. And so hoping they know that I meant what I said. That there is a will to change. We can come through....

And we did!

I'm inspired by Alice Walker, as always. Her recent words to President elect Obama:

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker