Wednesday, November 5, 2008

About America's Election

Text to Dan this morning: "thrilled about the election - what a triumph for America."
"A new dawn," he texted back.
Dan has American connections.
Later, I went out to get the newspapers.
"I'm always happy," said the big black man on Church Street.
I had been following him along and I'd wondered if he was drunk - he was talking to himself and dancing about a bit as he walked.
Now he stopped and I moved past him.
"I'm always happy," he said to a black lady, "this morning especially."
"Me too!" she said and I suddenly realised what they were talking about .
"And me!" I said as I turned and looked back at them and the smiles on their faces and their words will stay with me for a long time. I hope they remember my smile too. It came from the heart. It moves me to tears to think about that moment.
A black man has become the President Elect of the United States and, as a lady called Linda Slaughter said in America, quoted in today's Guardian:
"The day has come when anybody in America can be who they want to be."
I hope, with all my heart, that the same day will come to Great Britain, in the end.
Even if not in my lifetime.

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