This is amazing. Amanda Jones' father was a slave until he was a young adult. Her mother was born just after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. She has been an active voter, her first vote was for FDR. She voted when there was much persecution against black voters, and even had to pay a poll tax. I can't comprehend the true change she has seen our country go through. Watching her people evolve in the eyes of the majority from less-than-human status, to second class citizens, to equals in the human family, and now possibly filling the most powerful position in the world. It is an amazing transformation our country has been through in the past 250 years.
The entire world suffered from the slavery plague, and our country fought a divisive and bloody battle to give them their freedom.
It has been over 150 years since people like Harriet Tubman, and Fredrick Douglass fought for the abolition of slavery. It has only been 145 years since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by the great President Lincoln giving the slaves their freedom.
It has been 53 years since Rosa Parks was thrown into jail for sitting at the front of the bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and lead to the desegregation of the transportation system.
It has only been 47 years since the Freedom Rides began their lunch counter sit-ins, changing our society with non-violence. It has only been 45 years since Martin Luther King, Jr gave his "I had a dream" speech. It has only been 43 years since the Voting Rights Act was passed, allowing for equal registration for black citizens.
Only in our country is it possible for this dramatic of a change to happen in such a short amount of time. You can feel it among all voters, the excitement of this historic election. Early voting actually has lines of people waiting!
Whether you are voting for Barack Obama or John McCain, or even Bob Barr; you can't deny it is a turning point in our country. And for someone like Amanda Jones, who is voting for Barack Obama, has witnessed this evolution firsthand.
1 comment:
A thoughtful piece. It really has been something to watch this year. I'm almost as anxious to see how many turn out to vote as I am who wins the election! A tide is turning. It's like you've said in this blog, when a crisis grips the nation, people step up to the plate to take action; to have their voice be heard; to contribute.
Strike with your mighty pen. Vote.
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