November 5th...The Day after

Its 1:30 am EST and after a night of uncertainty, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and every other major news outlet has called the election winner as John McCain. Somehow he pulled a miracle and not only won the swing states but won Pennsylvania as well. John McCain has 282 Electoral votes to Barack Obama’s 266. The country is shocked, anger is rising. Polls stated that Obama would win, without a doubt. The validity of polling doesn’t come into question, instead the validity of people’s true feelings about race and power have come into light. Tensions that have been boiling since Obama’s announcement of his running for President and the FIRST assassination plot against him are beginning to rise. For 20 months, voters, particularly of color, have had to witness the attempt of a political assassination of Obama’s character, family and intentions. The first brick is thrown through a window. The first innocent white bystander is attacked. Tears flow and fired begins to burn down buildings. Silently, whites celebrate and breathe a sigh of relief that Obama has not won the presidency. Now…how to contain the beast that was been let loose? This is the exact reason why we can’t have him in office, his people are unstable. John McCain is President…what next??

OR

Its 10:30pm and every major news outlet has called the election winner as Barack Obama. He has won the election 349 electoral votes to John McCain’s 189. History has been made. Barack Obama is the first Black President of the United States. Gun shots are being fired in celebration. People drink and a few excited folk go out at vandalize in celebration. This is a riot of victory. Some blacks feel victory over white people. It is OJ all over again…”We’ve won!!” Fast forward to 6:00am the next morning. The news reports that several burning crosses have been placed on the lawns of black residents and churches. The south is outraged and a race war ensues. Nationwide, people of color are defending the new president and his motives. 5 more attempted assassination plots are foiled. Tensions continue to build as the monster created at past political rallies takes to the streets and neighbors become enemies. One lone soul, out on a mission, makes a daring attempt on Obama’s life. The gun goes off……
I can hear you while you read this….”How Assumptive”, “What a play on stereotypes”, or “Those are exaggerated hypotheses”. However these are the only two hypotheses that I have heard and both infuriate me. Call me an optimist; call me unrealistic, it’s just that I am tired of people placing this whole thing in a box. Placing themselves, their race, and their futures in these boxes based on stereotypes and assumptions. If this race has taught us anything, it is that everything is possible. By believing in the stereotypes, by staying within the box, we as a people will never move forward. Why do you think that racism still exists?? Because people refuse to believe outside of their perceptions, regardless of what truths may be right in front of them. Also, people allow certain stereotypes to exist about them. We take offense when we hear that black people will riot whether Obama wins or loses, but we say it too!! Saying it just helps keep the stereotype alive and creates situations where it does come true because it is expected. “Well they knew something was going to happen, you know how WE do!” I guess my point is that people need to stop with the negative assumptions. “He’s going to be assassinated” , “The blacks will riot regardless” “White people will attack blacks” “Blacks will attack whites”, “I think the Bradley effect will cause Obama not to win”, etc etc. Now I am not naïve enough to believe that none of these probabilities are not possible. Just this morning the AFT foiled another assassination plot against Barack Obama and Emmitt Till’s murder site has been vandalized. I am very aware of the ignorance in this country. However, why accept that as the norm and why is no one outrage that is considered the norm?? Why is underlined racism ok?? And with that said, Why let these few ruin the moment for many?? We are living in history and we are so focused on what ifs?? Whatever that is going to happen will happen. We as a country will have to deal with it because on November 5th, one of these men will be named President. But it is up to us to control our thoughts, assumptions, and intuitions, and also attempt to influence those that may be stuck in that box. Once you free yourself you are able to see the entire picture, 360 degrees. Free yourself….wake up!

“What has also been lost is the idea that in this American story, each of us has a role to play. Each of us has a responsibility to work hard and look after ourselves and our families, and each of us has a responsibility to our fellow citizens. That's what's been lost these last eight years – our sense of common purpose; of higher purpose. And that's what we need to restore right now.”
----Barack Obama