Anything is Possible Now?

Once it was decided that Barack Obama was the next president of the United States, all sorts of cheers went up. Not just because Obama is a welcome change from George W. Bush, but because it shows that anything is truly possible in this country, because we elected a black president.

Wait . . . what?

Anything is possible because the new president is black? I think not.

Now, I'm not saying that electing Obama was a mistake. Far from it. I think it is wonderful, and I think it is wonderful that we were able to get a non-white person as president, that we are progressive enough to be able to do such a thing.

But is a black president really that progressive?

When I hear people talking about how finally, America has progressed to such a level, I think, "We're pathetic." It took us this long to get a non-white person in office. That's like saying we were finally able to clean our room, after a month of working on it, but the entire house is still a total mess.

Anything is possible? No way. This was just a small step. How many years until we're ready to have a Hispanic president? Another hundred years? How many years until we're ready to have a gay president? Will the US even exist by that time?

I understand that there are all sorts of problems within this country, especially when it comes to race. But it makes me sick, thinking that something small like electing a president who isn't white is a gigantic step for us. Are we, as a nation, really that close-minded? Are we really that far in the past?

Am I the only one who's not thinking, "Yes, we were finally able to get a non-white president!" but is instead pondering, "Why couldn't it have happened twelve years ago? Or eight years ago? Or even four years ago?" The US shouldn't be in such a state that we should be shocked that we were able to elect a black president.

That said, here's to progress! Hopefully we won't stop here.

They just banned same-sex marriages in some states. That statement was throw down the drain the next day.

Progression goes as far as the people allow it. Human nature isn't something that's easily overwritten by ideals and concepts. In all honesty, I would have thought that Hilary Clinton would have carried the Democratic Party, not Obama, and I believe that she is far more deserving of the presidential seat than him. Though this should be in the other thread, I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. That's just the natural order of things, a stick in a hole, crudely speaking. I wouldn't mind gays and lesbians getting the legal status of being married, but calling it "marriage" kinda grates against my romantic and humane ideals.

well Obama at this exact point in time, can not do a single thing. He's president /elect/ for a reason... bush still has a while to go as president.


when he does take office, I hope that a few things are corrected. Banning gay marriage one of them (but my list is long and probabbly not going to happen any time soon)

Shigeru Miyamoto for PRESIDENT.

WE NEED AN ASIAN IN THE OFFICE!

But yeah, people are happy about a black president, but its not that big of a deal. Yipee, a different color of skin is on a president. So what? We're still human. Are we different because our skin is different, or our eyes are different? Nope, we're still humans from the exact same place.

The son of a Kenyan immigrant just won the presidential race how is that not progressive? So we won't be a "progressive" country until we elect a Hispanic, an Asian, a gay or any combination of things that aren't straight, white, men.

It's a step, take it as the fact that 50 years ago blacks couldn't even vote. Now, we have a black guy as the president elect. Now be happy for Obama instead of pissing on his shoes.

don't get me wrong, I voted for Obama, and have high hopes for him. it's just that a lot of sore losers don't want to get rid of bush just yet... trust me I'm living in the middle of the worst sore losers ever. (because Pennsylvanian residents act like they are from the deep south) even though my state went to Obama my county did not.


my last thoughts for the night... (yea right) good luck obama, you have a hell of a climb from here on out, and you have my support

[size=10]Yeah, we have progressed, seeing how someone of a Non-European decent (or in more general way, a non-white person) has become president of the country.

However, no matter how much we seemed to have progressed, it's all happening at such a slow rate. Racism (now) doesn't seem to be as extreme as it was in the past, but it still exist because of how people are/feel about others. I doubt this Earth that we live on will ever be cleared of Racist, Judgmental and Closed-Minded people. Lol, I really do doubt it.

And hmm, while someday we may have a hispanic president, I doubt we'll ever have a gay one. People don't seem capable of judging others solely by who they are inside. I guess that's why they judge em based on small things like skin color.[/h]

I'm not "pissing on his shoes." I'm just saying that electing a black president shouldn't be the huge thing that a lot of people are saying. It's a small step, and we as a country shouldn't accept that something like this shows that we are "progressive." This doesn't show that America is free of racism, though it seems like that's what people are saying.



Does the divorce rate being incredibly high also grate against your romantic and humane ideals?

Yes it does. Whaddya expect me to say?

I was hoping you'd say that. :)

Too often I'd heard people talk about why gay people shouldn't get married but never say that the high rate of divorce is bad.

By me, marriage should be like an unbreakable contract with someone who you know can put up with you and has some sense of loyalty and morals. To those that divorce, it pisses me off to think that people marry only to divorce because they can't tolerate each other or some other superficial reason. In fact, the other day I went to court for a minor traffic offense, and I saw a marriage ceremony take place right there with a couple older than 40 years with their respective son and daughter with them. It was touching, especially finding love at that age.

Back on topic, it's not like the nation isn't ready for change. We've been living (at least I have since I'm in Jersey) in a pretty tolerant age for the past 20 odd years, and something like a Black president doesn't surprise me. (Hilary was sooo much the better candidate.)

I think when our children are our ages then we'll finally see some major change - if the US still exists. The reason I say this is due to the fact a lot of the younger generations (us) aren't really religiously tied down. We have our beliefs but we don't frown upon gays nearly as much as the older generations do.

I think when our kids can run for president is when it could be possible for a gay president.

I saw the "Anything is possible" comment from a black man on TV saying "Now when my grandchild asks me if he can be anything he wants to be when he grows up, I can truly and honestly tell him yes"

I think since Obama made it to be president, you'll find a lot more interracial candidates in the future.

Well, I don't think an Asian candidate will appear anytime soon, quoting back to illumi's comment. The Asian population in the U.S. numbers less than 10%, even if the Washington State governor and the Secretary of Labor are Asian. I will state this for a fact that many times people vote according to personal preference, not by rational objectivity. An Asian president wouldn't have the popular vote no matter how you looked at it. A Hispanic president wouldn't be far off, but I don't know of any major Hispanic politicians in the political scene, except for the Supreme Court nomination. A female president is more than likely, and I hope that Hilary tries again. If not, I'll still support her as a Senator. As for a gay president, the chances of that happening are next to nil, at least within the next couple of decades. With gay marriage as a hotbed issue, we won't be seeing the end of that for while.

Hehe, Hillary.

Oh, wait.

You were serious?

I don't think so. I'd like females to get a good representative for their first time in office. Not Hillary and her sniper fire.



I have quite a bit of respect for your opinions, Firey, but that is bullshit.

Pure and utter bullshit.

Saying that a black man being elected President is in any way progress is bullshit. This isn't progress, not in the usual sense of the word.

It's the "No child left behind" approach to Politics.

It can be summed up in this simple picture:

Every time someone says that electing a "Black man president" is "progress", and someone says "Now I can honestly tell my kids they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up", it amounts to saying "Haha, lookit that retard in office. If HE can do it, why can't I?"

It is NOT a big deal the Obama was elected. It's a nice thing, sure, but all the hubbub about it only serves to drive home the point that humans, and americans in general, remain xenophobic, bigoted, bastards.

God, I can't wait until the internet generation grows up.

...

I get the feeling that the way I ranted that is going to be misinterpreted.

lol!
i agree in most parts.
just not the Hillary thing, she could have been a really good choice for a candidate!
[size=10]just not at this very time..[/h]

Thank you, now I can go wash off this smell. Smells like a damn farm in here. You can't honestly think that I believe voting Obama is any form of "progress". C'mon I hated the guy from the start. The only "progress" that was made is the argument against affirmative action. Jesse Jackson and his crew can pack up and head home. We have Black Ceo's, black politicians and now a black president elect. They can't say "America is still racist. Jesse and his crew still operate under the idea that institutionalized racism still exists.

P.S. I reread what I wrote that you replied to. I meant to state a question instead of a statement "So we won't be a "progressive" country until we elect a Hispanic, an Asian, a gay or any combination of things that aren't straight, white, men?" My bad. Sorry everybody, my bad. Sorry

Our society likes to pretend we have gone a lot further than we actually have. We like to pretend that slavery was for long a thing of the past, when in fact some of your grandparents were there to experience it. Just a short few hundred years ago, our founders came to America to flee the church. Now one could say our country is run by the church. If we have truly escaped religious persecution, then why has gay marriage been banned? Try walking down the streets in a ghetto populated with a race you do not belong to, whether it be a rich area, or a poor area you're going to be judged to a ridiculous extent.

No but seriously, I think this is quiet a big step, not a huge breakthrough, but still. And yes, this might lead to new possibilities. In what, who knows.

Institutionalized racism may not be rampant, but racism in America is still very strong, at least here in the South. And that pisses me off. A lot.

It's unbelievable how many times I heard, "I won't vote for Obama because he's black," or something to that extent (usually with much worse wording). Also, we still have a lot of people who think that Obama will be assassinated because he's black. (Some people may have seen a recent topic about the subject that didn't go too well.)