I'm sitting here with my class on the next to last day of school watching Sen. Obama speak before AIPAC. What a difference 11 hours make. He's already taken on the mantle. As he is speaking you see two immediate differences. The senator is no longer in a regional campaign demeanor. He is statesmanlike. Concilitory, yet assertive. The aura he has already donned is one of thoughtfulness instead of reactionary.
I thought my kids would be bored stiff with sleepy heads nodding waiting for the their early release bell the day before school officially ends. But they are watching. Listening. They don't seem awed by the historical implicatons they are witnessing. They almost see it as a natural occurance of someone winning out over rivals for a top spot.
Their 15 to 16 year old minds seem oblivous to the cultural barriers crashing down for those of us adults who seem somewhat awed by them. As Mr. Obama began I was searching my mind for an equally generational transpiring moment last evening brought us. It didn't take long for me to find it. The Berlin Wall.
Last night another Berlin Wall of sorts fell. Mr. Obama has disentigrated that wall like Gabrielle'horn at Jerico. The racial and gender barriers have taken a severe beating at Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton's hands. There is still no doubt that if the good Senator from Illinois is elected and serves two terms those barriers will still exist. One thing you can count on though. They will be much lower than before and easier to jump over. Its a good start. I'm terribly priviledged to have lived long enough to witness that lowering. I am also at the same time excited to have some miniscule participation in the further disentigration of those barriers for the sake of my 2 1/2 year old daughter.
My kids sitting before me now see that lower wall. How much they contribute to the further disentigration of it is up to them. At least I'm here to help prod them along.
God, how lucky I feel this morning.
TrumanDem
Truman's Conscience