History made.

Wow, I have been on the verge of tears since last night's electoral votes started piling up for Barack Obama. In my short lifetime, there has been segregation and now the country's first African-American president. And I am so inspired by him and the promise and hope that this country will come together to make it what it once was - a respected superpower capable of anything good.
Over the past months, I got so many emails about how great McCain is and how bad Obama is. It just made me shake my head at the ignorance. What I saw during the first of the presidential debates is McCain not even look at Obama and almost walk off the podium without even shaking his hand. The last presidential debate had McCain saying how he "understood how the American people are hurting." Do what? How can someone who owns nine houses and a myriad of cars and never has run a small business understand the people struggling to make bills, keep a roof over their heads and fill the gas tank?
Obama never ran a negative campaign, choosing instead to inspire and challenge those of us willing to listen. He is the first president in 200 years who actually understands the U.S. Constitution inside and out. Patriot Act? Let's hope an Obama Administration restores our civil liberties and turns this country in the right direction.
Under the Bush Regime, and that's what I believe it's been, I have been ashamed to travel to another country and say I'm an American. I felt, for one, it wouldn't have been a matter of pride to the country I was in and, two, it could have been dangerous to announce it in some countries.
But today I feel I am part of the United States of America. Thank you, President-elect Obama, and congratulations.