Change and Promises

Do you remember this last presidential election?  Presidential hopeful Obama ran on a campaign ideal of change.  He gave people hope that our government could change and our nation could become better.  We were unhappy with how things were running.  He inspired a lot of people. 

I felt pragmatic (some may say cynical).  I remember commenting that either candidate wouldn't be able to fix all of our country's problems or even the major ones.  No one man or administration can do that.  But I think most people who voted for President Obama believed that somehow he could.  That hope was unrealistic.

Time passed.  He didn't make the progress that people thought he should.  Change didn't come fast enough.  People became jaded and lost hope.  So everyone started blaming the Obama administration for everything.

Well, I hope people remember today.  The Senate has voted to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  President Obama kept his promise.  And this isn't a small thing at all.  Our servicemen and -women will not have to give up their integrity in order to serve our nation.  All citizens of the United States deserve equality, but especially those who would give their lives to defend it.

I have hope.  I have hope that this change will reverberate throughout our nation.  Let everyone know that gay men and women have achieved another large step on the quest for equality.

PS - I didn't vote for Obama.  But I believe in him.