YES WE DID!

What an incredible journey and an amazing moment we are in! It's taken me a day or two to really let it sink in. With this election, we have taken a giant step toward re-claiming our democracy; we have reclaimed and restored the true meaning of the word "patriotism" and what is means to have "family values," which to me means respecting diverse families, supporting poor, homeless and struggling families, providing appropriate and exceptional care and education for our children, and creating a world in which children can not only survive (i.e., eat, learn, live without violence, sleep with a roof over their heads, have access to health care), but thrive, grow and share their gifts with the world. President-Elect Obama (I really enjoy saying that!) forged a movement that was able to reach people from many walks of life, across typlical "party lines" and throughout the world, by holding out a commitment to justice and fairness; by reminding us of the importance of taking care of our children, our neighbors, our communities and our world, committments that are imbedded in many spiritual and philosophical traditions that have frequently been distorted to justify actions that undermine those very commitments; by touching the inner "angels" in all of us, inspiring us to choose hope over fear and collaboration over division; by asking us all to move beyond the road-blocks, stalemates and inaction that comes from dualistic, either/or thinking ("I'm right/you're wrong) so that we can work together and synergystically to develop creative and more effective solutions for our country's and and world's challenges. And while this election is a truly amazing historical achievement, it is not just a victory for for African-Americans and for people of color (which is truly is!). It is also a victory for participatory democracy, not just in the US but throughout the world; for patriots and for those who believe strongly in constitutional freedoms and in human rights; and for those who prefer popular participation over authoritarianism, involvement over passivity thoughtful decision-making over reactionary backlashing, respect over one-up-man-ship and put-downs, and the freedom of vision over the prison of fear. President Obama (I like that even better!) has now challenged us to be a part of this new direction, to take responsibility for our democracy and our government, and he reminded us once again on Tuesday night that our work has just begun and that the climb will be steep. And, not surprisingly, his remarkable team has already created an awesome website to facilitate our ability to do just that. Check it out and spread the word. http://change.gov/Now that we've elected him to the presidency, "Yes we can" takes on a new meaning: yes we can be a part of making the change a reality. So, I will keep saying it: YES WE CAN, AND WE WILL!! :-)