I turned 60 today. It has been the most astonishing day, filled with presents, cards, calls, flowers and a few insights. Tonight I saw Chorus Line from the front row and all I could do was think again and again how fortunate I am.
I turned fifteen the day Dr. King delivered the I Have a Dream Speech. You can take in a lot when you are fifteen. I loved him and the Kennedy brothers. When all of them were killed, I came to the conclusion that people working for social justice are beacons of light which threaten people who prefer darkness. Frankly as a young girl, color was not the determining factor; I thought all activists were in grave danger. Gandhi, my primary lifelong inspiration, was killed exactly seven months before I was born and from him I learned that advancement and liberty shakes up those who want static power.
Who hasn’t watched the Democratic Convention all week? The best place was C-SPAN as there were no blathering heads spinning and posturing as if they had some kind of inside line. I would prefer to listen completely, reflect responsibly and make my own informed conclusions. This year has called into question my deepest intelligence and spiritual reflection. Am I a feminist? Am I a racist? Could I be both?
I have really examined my loyalties to Hillary Clinton. Her presidency became my dream. I knew that if she was president, I would not have to think twice about all the issues that I have been pushing along on a very slow road for a very long time. ERA, CEDAW, Roe v Wade, pay equity would all be on the horizon of possibility. And in the realization of that dream, I would be able move forward and concoct a brand new fresh agenda to define my daily attention.
Yes, Hillary Clinton became more than one woman. To me she became an outcome that I have spent a lifetime working to create ~ a woman in the White House, women’s health and safety considered obvious, the courts upholding equality as unequivocal and evident. So this last week, I had to take responsibility for my dream, accept that I put too much on this one woman and face the fact that there is so much more work to be done.
So here is what I need to go forward. I need a Blue White House. I need 60 Democrats in the Senate. I need a majority of Democrats in the House. I need pro-choice, pro-equality, pro-justice people on the Supreme Court. All of that means that I will support President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. I see the hope. I see the possibilities. I see the fireworks and promise.
Today I realized how precious a vote is. I am grateful that I value my vote. This year I will give it to Obama & Biden.
Hi Zoe: I like reading your blog. As to our votes, I have just seen "Stealing America. Vote by Vote" I am convinced that Kerry won the 2004 election and it was blatantly stolen from us and Kerry refused to challenge the election. So, in addition to deciding how to vote, we have to protect our vote. I vote absentee and then I take the sealed ballot to my polling place and drop it into the box. I've been told that is the best I can do at this time. Please check on the movie;it will be on DVD soon and if you draw the same conclusion, let it be known. Thanks, Carol
Posted by: cdowner@sbcglobal.net | August 29, 2008 at 05:20 PM