Political Healing

Now that this long and historic election is over, the great partisan divisions created during the last eight years can finally start to come back together. While we bask in this euphoric celebration, and it indeed makes us feel better than we have in a very long time, it is important to remember that America remains a bitterly divided country. In Missouri, the vote, two days later, remains too close to call.

I thought today of a certain Colonel Tim Collins, of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, who, about to embark on the invasion of you know where in 2003, gave a speech, in which he says to his men, '[But] if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.'

The formerly-repressed are reaching out, and they are nothing if not magnanimous. Ze Frank started a project called from52to48withlove, which asked people to upload messages to those who voted for McCain. And for those outside the States, there's the wonderfully idealistic Hello Everybody at sorryeverybody.com, which asks for messages to the rest of the world (and presumably vice-versa). Neat ideas, I thought. Neat enough for this cynical former DM'er to get involved.

But I'm not ready. I'm too angry. Too angry at the people who were stupid enough to be swayed by the obviously spun distortions and lies of the Republican party. Twice! Too angry at the massive increase of wealth disparity (1% of Americans control 40% of the wealth) that isn't going to go away just because Obama finally got elected. Too angry at the insinuation that I am not a real American because I am not a Bible-banging, small-town resident. I say this for a reason.

Because surely we all won on Tuesday night. It was more than a victory for the people who believed in Obama. It was also a victory for those Americans who, for whatever reason (and there still are a few good ones), voted Republican. They too, will benefit from the new course America is now on.

And these past years have just been too hard, the damage too great, for me to reach out and grant them that success. I have been a victim of anti-Americanism caused by it's policies and actions. It's been too personal.

Someday, I would like to be magnanimous. I just need time to heal.