Fanz23 - On My Vote - No Mea Culpea

Last night I purposely didn't take calls from folks who knew I was voting for Sen. McCain. Why? Because one, I didn't want to hear all the told you so's and two, I wanted to enjoy this historic moment on my own. You see while everyone came out to vote it was saddening to know that all those people went out there, let me correct myself, some of those people went out to vote for Obama "because he's black." Never mind not knowing the issue, what the man is all about, it was about getting "whitey" and showing them. Sadly, some of those comments came from so callled educated folks and helluva lot more from uneducated ones, like Rodney. Rodney was a young man, standing in line with me to vote for the very first time. He was in his mid twenties and was excited about the Candidate Barack Obama going to be president. I asked Rodney this:

Me: So you're voting for Obama?

Him: yeah, man, we need to get our folk up there.

Me: Oh okay, what do you mean? our folk.

Him: Black people. We need to get black folk in the white house after years of white rule.

Me: Dang man, there are lot of white folk supporting him also and you know he's bi-racial..

Him: One drop makes him black..

Me: one drop also makes him white..Tell me Rodney, what about Obama and the issues that are making you vote for him..

Him: You some type of reporter? why you asking all these questions...the economy man, it's effed up..

Me: that's fair, we are in a recession and the economy is sputtering right now..So do you think raising taxes is the right thing to do..

Him: look, all I know is, it's effed up and we need some new blood...

Me: one drop of black blood, huh?

Him (laughing) yeah..

Me: So the economy is the reason and you haven't answered the question in regard to raising taxes, but we need new "black" blood..

Him: Yeah...white folk has been running this thing for years, it's time for black folk to have a share...

Me: So you're voting for him because he's black..

Him: and McCain is too old...

Me: and now you're discriminating against old people...I can't talk, I'm about to vote "hell" yeah on the eight.

Him: you want gay people to marry?

Me: No, Rodney, Prop 8 is to deny gay folks to marry...Didn't you read the booklet..(I already knew the answer to that question)

Him: Nah (surprise) I thought no was to deny the marriage..you sure?

Me: yeah man..vote yeah on eight..and we can discriminate together...Let me ask you something Rodney, If elected, what does this say about our country?

Him: it says alot, but I don't think it'll erase racism, that still exists.

Me: interesting. we elect a man of color

Him: black!

Me: Cmon' Rodney, he's going to Hawaii to bury his white grandmother, who happened to be the mother of his white mother. You can deny his other half?

Him: one drop...that's all I gotta say.

Me: Rodney, tell me what his issues?

Him: What?

Me: his issues, his platform? what he campaigned on?

Him: I can't tell you, but he's gonna be change..

Me: Change?

You see, Rodney isnt alone, a lot of black folk did a huge disservice to Obama by voting for him based on race. Sadly, not only black folk did it, but white folk did it also.

Look, I'm just a proud at where our country is today, It says alot about our country that after two hundred odd years, we've done something no other "free" country has done in their thousands of years of existance. And that's the difference between most of you and Obama. You think of yourselves as "black", "opppressed" and "doused" dreams.

Obama thought of himself as a man, with dream wider than the horizon and deeper than the deepest galaxy. You only shouted, "yes we can" but as I watched Jesse Jackson stand in Grant Park in Chicago, I saw a gleam in his eye, a reddening of those same eyes and I think in his head, he finished his famous shout of the 70's and 80's..

I am sombody..and Yes we can.

So I won't apologize for disagreeing with the new president elect..Why should I? I believe the same man, who I saw in 2004, is the same superstar, I said he was. He echo'd those same sentiments again last night. I didn't do him a disservice. And that's what makes my vote different, and my night more historic to watch and celebrate on my own...It's because I believe in this country, because I've been outside her..I've seen other conditions and I appreciate her more for what she is and what she's become. This country ain't perfect and with all the talk of her being so racists and evil...I always see folks coming and no one leaving.