The Obama Victory from a Canadian View

Link: http://secondpagemedia.com/confundo/index.php/topic,3837.0.html

(lifted from Confundo)

Dear America

A couple of days ago, you got together and made a choice. You chose to elect one Barack Obama as your President. I congratulate you on what I feel was the right choice. I am not writing to praise Barack Obama. Nor am I writing to condemn John McCain, a man who I respect. I'm not writing to debate on the campaign at all. I'm writing to say that on November 4, 2008 you proved you aren't beyond hope. Watching you from here in Canada, I often feel like I get to see the worst of your country and not the best. Let's face it, you're not all that high on the popularity chart worldwide at the moment. But when you chose Barack Obama as your President, you gave us a look at some of the best. However, now that you have our attention, you need to follow through.

Your 44th President is also your first African American President. I can appreciate what a historic moment it was when that announcement was heard. I was watching CNN that night and one man, though I can't remember who, said, "Bradley Effect? Come on America's grown up." I don't think truer words have been spoken in the entire campaign than those. However, this doesn't prove race is no longer an issue. It only proves there is no reason for race to be an issue for any of us, American or not. This is by no means the end. The onus is on everyone to change their thinking about race.

Barack Obama is not inheriting a country in an ideal situation. No government can fix the problems you face, but a Nation can. I have complete faith that America has the ability to rise above the hardships before you. It's not going to be easy. It will probably even get worse before it gets better. But with each and every American, from the lowest beggar to the President himself, with every American working together, I have no doubt you can and will be a great nation in the spirit of your founding fathers. But you need everyone on that same track for it to work.

I think, for the first time in a long time, you've elected a person instead of a party as your President. Barack Obama may be a Democrat, but I don't think anyone voted for him for this reason. I think that you believe this man can lead you through a very tough time. With that said, there are going to be people unhappy with the outcome of the recent election. To them I say, please don't let this stand in your way. Don't allow disappointment to bring down the pride you take in your country. As I stated before, it's going to take everyone to overcome the challenges you face as a nation. I know the idea of bipartisanship has been batted around a lot by everyone in this last election and I hope everyone in America, from the government itself, to the regular folks in the cities and towns, lives by it. I would love to see what your nation can achieve through co-operation, awareness and compassion.

Make no mistake, I love your country. I love the ideals it was founded on. I love its ability to realize when something is wrong and change. That is what is needed now, change. Electing Barack Obama as President was not the goal, but the first step in a long journey for America. A journey that can take you to greatness if everyone works together. You've got my attention, America. Now make me proud to say we're friends.

Sincerely,
A Canadian

Categories: 2008 U.S. Elections
Written on 11/07/08 @ 06:39 | 5 feedbacks » • PermalinkPermalink

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5 comments

Comment from: An American [Visitor]
***--
Dear Canadian,

When you wrote to say that on November 4, 2008 we proved that we weren't beyond hope, you exhibited the very same hubris and condescending national egotism that you and yours so smugly criticize most citizens of the United States of America for having.

In your contrived and superior world view, you will never understand what makes the United States tick. Not the United States of 50 years ago, or 10 years ago or even just 4 years ago, but the United States of right now.

This United States will soon be unrecognizable to the one that preceded it, just as the United States of 2004 was unrecognizable to the United States of 2000, and that of 2000 to the United States of 1996 and so on.

While other nations remain either sleepy backwaters of isolation and cultural stasis, the United States remains always on the brink of transformation, if not in the midst of it. While other nations settle down into a familiar panacea of anti-American scoffing and ineffective global bureaucratizing in response to world problems, the people of the United States roll up their sleeves and work - most often, as private citizens, with or without the help or blessing of our government, and often in direct opposition to it.

For every American rule, there is a shining exception (for good or bad). For every government edict, there is a dissident. For every reactionary, there is a reformer, a revolutionary. For every pro-war sentiment, there is a resolve for peace, and for every timid coward there is someone willing to stand up and fight for what they believe.

This has existed long before the world looked deep within our national soul. And the world is happy with the results of the election. Good. So are we.

But don't preach to us, don't commend us on our admirable decision, as though we have finally come to realize what the wiser peoples of the world have already known for so long.

You don't understand us.

As you acknowledged, we are, and have always been, a nation of change, of innovation, and above all, common sense. And we remain so. But we don't need you to tell us that, or realize that, or consecrate the fact.

Our 44th President is also our first African American President. You can appreciate what a historic moment it was when that announcement was heard.

...

*You* can appreciate? Oh really?

Before you speak out of both sides of your mouth about how mature we've seemed since this past election, just remember that Canada went and re-elected Harper. By your logic, the world should be ashamed of each of you.

But we prefer to take people as they come, individual by individual, so I'll just say it to you, personally:

In your face.

Sincerely,
An American.
11/07/08 @ 08:19
Comment from: Another Amercan [Visitor] Email
To the other person who commented; thanks, you jerk. It's in help to people like yourself that we're not high on the popularity chart. This person just went and complimented us, thanked us, and simply asked that we continue to do the right thing, yet you saw it necessary to insult him and his country. To the Canadian; thank you. We will do our best.
11/07/08 @ 09:50
Comment from: Gina [Visitor] Email
*****
*Sigh*

Please be assured the "American" who trounced you is no American in my eyes. We appreciate your compliments and certainly will do our best to keep this country moving in the right direction. :)
11/07/08 @ 10:02
Comment from: An American [Visitor]
***--
If it was a compliment, it was a back handed one. "Thank you for finally growing up from the despicable country you used to be."

We don't need a pat on the back from the rest of the world for "doing the right thing." We did the right thing by us because it mattered to us, and not because we have finally matured to the level of the rest of the world.

Being critical of someone else's government is easy; being critical of your own is courageous, since it implies a risk not found in the former.

What has happened in the United States over the past 8 years could have been a lot worse, were it not for people here who have struggled their best to overcome a very determined faction of opportunistic madmen. Some were quiet for way too long, and now we have a giant mess to clean up. It's far from over, in the United States, or Canada, or Britain, or anywhere else in the world.

The real lesson of the past 8 years is that no one is any different - American soldiers are often as brutal and sadistic as any terrorist, because they are people - and nothing in your Canadian identity exempts you from the same challenges, had your country been placed in a similar situation.

No more pedestals. No more patronizing. Ultimately, the people of the United States have the ultimate responsibility for fixing what is broken with the United States.

Congratulating us for not being children anymore is frankly insulting to those of us who have fought with all our hearts against the way this country has been sliding.

We don't need your pity, or *your* hope - we're the ones who have to deal with this, after all, and it's us who have been jailed at protests, tear gassed, shot at by our own cops, watched as free speech pens were instituted, watched as our phones were systematically wiretapped, watched as our rights were stripped from us. We have watched as immigrant neighbors were sent to detention on technicalities.

To the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, or other people who are victims of declared or undeclared wars of aggression and oppression by the United States or other G8 countries, you have our promise that there are those of us fighting our hardest to bring about justice in this world.

But to those fellow First Worlders out there who - when an oppressed, intimidated and manipulated people finally wake up - say that this was an act of "maturing" on their part, that is just plain rude and condescending.
11/07/08 @ 11:25
Comment from: A Brit [Visitor]
***--
Interesting responses - and then An American digs the pit a bit deeper! Understandable that s/he may be a bit thin skinned and bit back. But, take the opening comment as it is intended.

We too have watched, winced, and worried from our colonial stronghold (youse still do irony, don't you?) while the folk who were busy stealing the USA were getting away with it.

I hope that you (I mean the people of America) are now watching carefully while their final throw of the dice is to pocket that final, gigantic pay-off. Demand action.

There is a growing anger in GB that our small time crooks also seem to be getting away with it. To be honest, am not optimistic we can nail 'em.

But, as the US has just shown in that amazing election campaign, the culture of the USA is probably the most 'can do' in the world. I'd be more than happy if youse can take the lead in, once and for all, nailing those felons.

US leadership in this will have a world changing pay-back. Time after time, the voters were encouraged to move away from cynicism about politics into a Yes We Can mindset.

One tiny vignette from what we saw on our TV's ... a BBC reporter interviewed the fella who barbers Obama's hair. The theme started on the effect of having a black President.

And this fella said, in effect, "We have had the lead. It is up to us to change how we behave, what we see as our priorities, and make sure that nobody points the finger at us, the black population, and says we are putting our hand out to take. We need now to give. To work together to achieve"

Spot on, fella. My 16 year old son cheered. I just smiled. He'd said it exactly right - he knew what has to be done. What I understood was that the barber, very diplomatically, pushed the black american theme to one side. He was speaking as An American. That is the Yes We Can.

Patronising? Nay, as we say Up North. Overwhelming congratulations. And optimism, now. Go for it. Make it happen. Yes You Can.

11/07/08 @ 13:06

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