Today, the world changed again. I say the world because what we did, we did for everyone. As a young Caucasian American in her twenties, I am proud. Proud that due in large part to my generation's need for change and strong desire to overcome and overthrow the prejudices of previous generations, we have changed history.

I am fortunate to grow up in an America were we all stand in the same lines, drink from the same fountains, go to whichever schools we choose, sit wherever we would like on a bus. But, I am not naive enough to ignore the price paid by so many in the years before. Those in the Civil Rights Movement, those who cried for change, those who took great risks, those who marched, those who could see a different America. A united America. An America where skin color did not hinder your life possibilities. I am proud for those who had hope. Hope is the life-blood coursing through the veins of all of us. Of you. Of me.

Because of those who fought in the past, and because of those of us who want to change things - we have had today. And now, an African American man is the 44th President of the United States of America.

I can't possibly know what the future holds. I do not know what the next four years will bring. No one does. But I do know this - if my generation has gotten one thing right it's this - we know that we can create and affect change if we come together. We can make a difference. The cliches don't matter, but the results do.

I know that not everyone in my generation feels this way. Some are still engrained in the ideas of the past. I know not every American is proud, like I am today. But I do hope with time and progress, the divide will lessen and close. Close enough so that the divide is a mere scar of a past.

For Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and all of the unsung heroes of the Movement, and those of us who still believe in the unification of a whole America - yes, we did.
 

Today was a new day.

- T.  01-20-09-
 

We wanted hope.

We wanted change.

We voted.

And we got it.

Yes, we did.

On the edge of Election Day 2008, I find myself anxious with excitement. It's not really like me to be so invested in a political candidate. But, this time, I feel compelled by this man who brings the message of change and hope. Change and hope are two things my life are based around. They are integral parts to my life story. When I hear him speak, I relate. I relate, and I hope. I want this change of which he speaks.

I can't help but feel we are on the edge of something great. A part of history. A time our children, and our children's children will read about in history books. One of those pivotal moments when things truly changed - for the better. Like so many great historical figures who wrote pages before him, Barack Obama has earned his right in those pages. Along with Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. Along with John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Susan B. Anthony, he has been a shaker, a ground breaker, and a pioneer. A pioneer who's steps were possible because of those who trudged before him, and those who walked right along with him. Marching to the beat of a new drum. Marching to the sound of change. Marching to the sound of hope.

There are still doubters. There are still those who disagree. There are still those who think differently. There are still those who believe different things. There will always be those people. The people like this are peppered throughout history. Most doubt, disagree, and dissent because of fear. Fear of change, fear of difference, intolerance, and sometimes ignorance. We can not fear that with which we are not familar. We must embrace it, because the fear will only limit us, and our futures.

Barack Obama may have grown up in different countries, he may have a Caucasian, American mother, and an African father. He may have been raised primarily by his grandparents. He may have gone to Harvard, but then decided to be a community organizer instead of a Wall Street mogul, but isn't that exactly what America is about? Isn't that what freedom, choice, and all of the other things America stands for, means? That someone, a man who grew up embracing differences, learning, and understanding gained knowledge, and then used it for the betterment of man and his community, because he wanted to make a difference - because he could? And that someday, that very man could then become the Democratic Presidential Candidate in 2008, inspiring millions to join him on the journey? 

Being a 24 year old Caucasian young woman, I have been blessed to grow up in a free America, where people like Barack Obama can run for President of the United States. I am blessed to see that so many of us have grown up without the racial stereotypes and hatreds, ignorances of the past. So that we do not see skin color, rather, we see a man who has a dream and a vision, much like those who walked with Martin Luther King Jr. saw him in the 1960's. After all, though our skin colors may differ, that, in the end, is irrelevant. We all have skin. Color does not matter. We are all human. We all bleed the same.

America - the time has truly come for change. We need this. We need the hope. We need this change. We need this so that our children and their children, and every generation after will not know a time of hate. They will not know the fear of differences resulting in hate-mongering, name-calling, and lies. We need this because America is tired. Tired of the same politics, without honor, and in the end, without results. We need this because it is time.

We can do this. The time has come to make a difference. We can make that difference. You and I, together. Yes we can. 

So, whoever you are, wherever you may be. Vote on November 4th. Vote because you can. Vote because you have been given that right by the sacrifices of those before you. Vote because like me, you have hope. Vote because, as Americans, we need change.

- Tiffany M. 11/03/08.
 

So, that is a brief explanation of my choice. I plan to vote on November 4th, and I hope you do too. I hope you vote for whichever candidate you feel is best. Do it because as Americans, we have been given the right to vote. Do it simply because you can.