Racism Alive and Well

I laughed, I cried and I was so proud of the American people for the choice for change! I took this picture of my 3yr. old granddaughter; she will never know what it is to never have had a black man elected president. She may also never know what it is like to never have elected a woman president; she has a few years before this will be important to her and in that time, who knows?

I live in Lafayette La. There is a university here..University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Today my 20 yr. old neighbor girl, a beautiful educated soft spoken young lady showed up for class at the University to find that most of the students had elected not to come. A protest to the election of a black man. She has received phone calls and text messages from her friends (most of them white and friends since early childhood) telling her that this wasn't right, the election of a black man.

She is devastated. Today on campus in the student union a student burned an Obama Tshirt. He set it afire IN the student union and was promptly arrested.

I'm so embarrassed at this time to be a white woman. I'm embarrassed to see these wonderful neighbors and have them witness the ignorance of the locals here.

I made it a point to visit public places today to see what was being said. There is anger here; lots of anger. Angry white people using excuses for why he shouldn't be elected.

My response to them is "White people voted him into office". (not any here in Louisiana). It's a democracy and the people have spoken. I think they would have chose 8 more years of a Bushlike president then to have a black man in office and that is pure racism!

Charlotte Ann who wishes she lived in a LIBERAL STATE!

Waiting

TV is tuned in to MSNBC and the election returns are coming in.
I made it to the polls early this morning and suprisingly enough, the lines weren't long although a bit confusing. No directions as to what line you should be in and some people had to be moved from the lines three different times to start over again on waiting to vote. This could have been arranged better but all in all it was not a bad experience for me.
I live in a conservative state..a red state as colors go. I don't expect this state to support my choice in presidential canditates but it made me feel great to cast my blue vote in a sea of bright red.

If nothing else this election brought people to the polls in record numbers for reasons of their own. At least they came to the polls and exercised their right to vote! What an exciting night to be a part of this 2008!

Nov.1st Summertime in the south

Well, here we are in shorts! It's November and a Monday. Election day is tomorrow and I'm getting ready to go. I have those fold up chairs ready and a thermos of drinks will be taken to the polls. (Coffee is the drink). I don't know how long I will have to stand in line but I want to be prepared. My neighbors are going at 6AM and I will be tagging along with them. I'm so excited about this election. A new day is dawning for the Republican party or at least I hope so. I hope the USA uses this election to let the government know how we feel about the past 8yrs with Bush Republicans at the helm. This is an opportunity to let the world know that we "*ucked up" in the other two elections that put and kept Bush and Co. in power.

I'm ready for a CHANGE. I'm ready for our invasion of another country to be halted; to stop the loss of lives to our soldiers and the Iraqi innocents.

I'm ready to VOTE!

Anti Obama? or Anti Black

While visiting a rig in Republican country (Texas) I ran into this gentlemen. He started working the rigs at 17yrs old, lives in a small Texas town all his life and is now 52 yrs. old. A hardworking fellow for sure; a good family man and a great boss to the young roughnecks on the rig; A father figure to the young workers that he supervises.
Our discussion turned to the Wall Street Fiasco and finally to the upcoming election. It never ceases to shock me when in the course of conversation casually spoken the "n" word comes up. This man wasn't a McCain fan but he voted for him because he wasn't a "nigger" (quoted). He informed me that McCain was better then having a "nigger" in the White House. "You wait till all those little niglets are running around the White House" he says.
I don't think this is a mean hearted person. I think he is a sign of "his time", "his educational background", and "his area of habitation".
I looked at this man wearing his bib overalls and as the conversation turned to the town where he lived, he spoke about the BBQ restaraunts and the best one to visit. He mentioned the owners name with great respect (a black man) and talked about what a wonderful guy he was. A hard working man he says; an honest man he says.
I began to think that the racial slurs he spouted earlier was a learned response; not a personal one to him. A conditioned response from his upbringing; his age group; educational group.
Although I was shocked by his earlier statements about the Senator Obama, I could recognize that this man was a product of his time and location or at least I surely hope so.
I intend to vote; I intend to cast my ballot to reflect how I have felt about the current administration. I pity the next President and the mess that has been left to him to correct. I don't think even an 8yr term is enough time to fix what Bush and Co have done to plough us under and to correct our standing in the world's eyes.