It's been an exciting week for me. Last October, I moved back to Denver from the San Francisco Bay Area. I did so to give my two small boys a better chance at a quality education and to provide a safer environment for my two mixed race sons to grow up in. Please understand, as you parents out there surely do, they are my reason for being.
My son, Jimmy, was born on November 22, 2004, only a few weeks after the reelection of George W. Bush. There was quite a bit of anxiety on my part regarding the possibilities for my son's future. A little over two years later, my second son, Chris was born. Many of the same anxieties persisted as I had witnessed the devastation of Katrina and the ensuing shameful federal response, the escalation of the war in Iraq, this adminstrations aggressive stance towards Iran and its disdain for the rest of the world, and of course the possibility that my children may not know the protections afforded them by our Constitution as Bush and his "legal experts" dismantled the greatest gift our country has to offer.
On Martin Luther King's Birthday this year, many of those anxieties were lifted when I heard Barack Obama's speech to the Ebeneezer Baptist Church. My hope was reinforced when I watched the speech Obama delivered in Philadelphia that addressed the Reverend Wright controversy and expand the speech to attempt to begin a frank discussion of race in our nation.
But nost of all, my spirits soared because my 3 year old son of mixed race looked at Obama on the TV and said to me, "Daddy, does this mean I can be President too?". I answered "yes" as my heart tightened and my eyes watered, because I knew then that for the first time I could answer "yes" truthfully.
Today, my three year old journeyed down to the 16th Street Mall with me and we spent the day watching the MSNBC show at Union Station, chatting with people, and soaking up the excitement.
The culmination was the nomination by acclamation of Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President. I admit, I cried as I watched the understanding dawn on my son about what was happening. He didn't know the historical significance of Obama's race, but he knew the importance of a Presidential nomination. He knew that this was important. Thanks to Barack Obama and millions of Americans, I hope he doesn't have to ever truly feel the weight of this moment. I hope finally, America has turned the corner.
At the mere promise of this, today is one of the greatest days in this dad's life.