"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." - Abraham Lincoln
Tomorrow is indeed a new day. For many of us, it's a day we knew we'd see, but not so soon. For some, it's a breakthrough built on decades (and familial centuries) of tears, sweat, and struggle - a hallmark to be proud of and remind us that, though they still exist, each day we chip away at barriers like a sculptor at a slab of granite - with purpose, unveiling something beautiful. For others it's justice and vindication and "about damn time." For all of us, though, it's progress and an opportunity to acknowledge not only how far we've come, but how far we need to go.
Growing up in the generation I did (and still do), it's difficult for me to realize the full magnitude of tomorrow. But history definitively fills in the blanks. The last Jim Crow laws were repealed little more than forty years ago and the ruling in Brown vs. Board of the Education was written during our parents' lifetime. One can practically smell the ink and feel the reverb.
My closest touchpoint with that class of bigotry was when I watched the Aryan Nations march down the deserted main street of downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, like a social club with quirky views. Though, that was a desperate demonstration; the livelihood of the group teetering like a Chihuahua on a linoleum floor, clinching First Amendment rights closer to their hearts than their own ideologies. It wasn't met with embarrassment by the city's leaders like in years past, it was met with something more powerful - disgust. But that makes it no less haunting that in 2004 such pockets of hate still came to the surface, gasping for air and spewing vitriol. Tomorrow, though, that group - and many like it - can't help but face their last, most devastating defeat.
But, more than its social and cultural significance tomorrow is a historical and political watershed, echoing the same essence. Tomorrow, the United States begins to rebuild. In many ways, its infrastructure has been damaged by corruption, negligence, nepotism, and general idiocy. As the outgoing Commander-in-Chief grapples with some uncharacteristic introspection, the country he and others have fumbled the past eight years can't help but look onward and forward. Historically, we will find ourselves at a crossroads, and while a consensus isn't necessary, we can all agree that success will be easier achieved if we work as friends.
So, $800+ billion (plus the second $350 billion of TARP) is the bill we've been left to seal the cracks of our country, but there is much more damage to be undone. Mostly, the US needs to invest in rebuilding its character, and there's no price tag to be assigned and no amount of tax dollars that can be committed help. It depends on us and our participation, and tomorrow is an auspicious start. So, as images of Lincoln are evoked left and right, it's important to remember that the parallels are plentiful,and internal conflict and crisis is one of the most crucial. Though he doesn't have to pull us from a Civil War, the holes in the national spirit still need to be patched, but they won't be unless we invest our own social mortar.
I apologize this was a bit disjointed, but I didn't want it to turn into a novel ... and a gushy, preachy one at that. So, please scroll back up and read the words of the original lanky guy from Illinois. He said it better than I ever could.
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