OK folks, today is the big day. No matter what happens in the election today, history will be made. We will either have the first African American in office or we will have the first woman. Amazing progress this country has made. And what I am hoping is for one more bit of progress. Whichever way the vote goes, I am hoping that we can all come together and work to repair what is broken with our system.
Neither candidate and neither party can fix everything alone. The effort and ideas of all Americans of all races, wealth categories, and belief structures will be required to fix the problems we have.
We are staring down divisiveness, a battered economy, a struggling war, a screwed up health care system, an energy crisis and much more. Without the unselfish effort of everyone involved, nothing will get fixed and we will be in the same position four years from now. And I hope and pray that that is nothing any of us want to see.
I was watching an interview with a pastor from somewhere out west the other day, and he was seeking to remind everyone that while politics is important, it does not make or break us and it does not define us. No matter who wins the election, you are still your own person and can and should pursue the things that you deem are important in your life. Just as we tell our children that they should not allow peer pressure to force their decisions, we should not allow the way a vote goes to change us personally. It can inform you, enlighten you and help you, but it should not discourage you, dissuade you, or cause you to quit working for what you believe in.