A Historic Day for America

Nearly 150 years ago, a great Civil War divided the people of the United States as had never been before or has since. Although that great conflict did not start because of the issue of slavery, by mid 1863 with Lincoln's Proclamation of Emancipation of slaves, the Civil War became the ultimate referendum on whether a nation conceived by the principle that "all men are created equal" could stand while the institution of slavery endured. Many hundreds of thousands of American's died or suffered horrible injuries in that conflict, and the Abolitionists prevailed but with a terrible price.

Yet another 100 years would pass, however, before Jim Crow laws and segregation would die the mean and ignoble death that it deserved. And even today in the 21st century, Americans as a people must still continue the fight against those corners of our culture and society that would still judge a man by any criteria other than his character.

I am a Republican. I wanted John McCain to be my next president because I believe that he truly could have reformed Washington and even his own party from within. I still believe that his experience makes him a better choice when it comes to the security of our great nation in a world that is still a very dangerous place.

However, tonight my fellow citizens have spoken and their voice has made it clear that they want a new direction. And so history has been made. A man of color is now President-elect of the United States and in January the mantle of responsibility will be his. He will become the leader of the free world, with all of the perks and obligations that such a position is bound with. President-elect Barack Obama will be President of the United States. All of it. From Canda to Mexico, from Maine to California, and to all of our protectorates, provinces and territories.

I am proud of my nation. I am proud that Barack Obama has attained the highest office of the land. I don't agree with him politically or fiscally. I do not relish the next four years if he pushes a far-left agenda. But unlike many of my Democratic friends who never acknowledged George H. Bush as "their President", I will certainly embrace Barack Obama as mine. I will support him when he and I are in agreement and I will loyally oppose him when we do not. But make no mistake. He is President for all of us. I hope and pray that my conservative comrades will take the same wise course. I hope that we will help President-elect Obama truly represent all of us by taking the middle of the road. If he comes part way, so shall I. But I will not meet him on his end of the spectrum.

I expect that we will disagree on many things: The "Fairness Doctrine", Taxation, Universal Health Care, Military Policy, the Sanctity of Life, especially those with no voice of their own and the War. But I expect we will agree on things too. I believe in my heart that President-elect Obama truly wants a United States that is prosperous, where our people can be productive and innovative; where our children can have a chance to a better life than their parents and that our people are respected in the international community. I don't agree with him on how to get there, but I have no doubt that in his own way that he is patriotic. In some ways, much more patriotic than my "angry meat-eating gun-toting leather-wearing" self, for he has stepped into the glare of the public spotlight to serve his country in an arena that I have no stomach for.

As Barack Obama made clear in his victory speech, while today is momentous it is only the beginning. It's not winning the White House but with the help of the American People what he does with it that will be the stuff against which the historians of the future will judge our times. I pray that President-elect Obama can be the uniter that he claims to be. For all that we have been through for the last 21 months I still really don't know him very well.

Tonight, my heart goes out to him to congratulate him and his precedent setting, history making achievement. Tomorrow and every day thereafter, my prayers will waft to heaven; "Dear Father, let Barack Obama be President for all of us. And Dear Father, let the American People accept him as the President of all of us."