Historic

Pumpkins for Change


My apologies for my absence.  Perhaps I can backtrack at some point and talk about the bat mitzvah, cooking for 100 people, having all the Massachusetts people, the Pennsylvania people, and the families from all over in one place, watching Zoe rock out in amazing style, and all the rest.  There are even a bunch of dog stories with philosophical underpinnings that are begging to be told.      

But right now it's the culmination of living in Pennsylvania in this presidential election year that has dominated my thinking, breathing, feeling self.   Perhaps, also, it's the long term effect of having my personal political history dominated by Bushes and Reagan, of living in NH and PA and watching people vote on self interest rather than collective good, and of missing Massachusetts, where progressive is a good word.

I can't describe how we felt last night, watching Obama become presidential.  I almost never speak of a "we," especially in terms of feelings, but it is the collective pride and relief that, even this next day, is staying with me and, I hope, with Zoe and with Zack (who wishes there was some way he could be in a basketball game at the White House. Is that so much to ask? Such modest goals, but isn't basketball the best link across race and class? And wouldn't it be fun? They are the same age...). 

The Sociologists for Women in Society Listserv has been jammed with posts from people who campaigned in NH and PA and other swing states, who are distraught over the contradiction of a country able to elect a black man president, but deny affirmative action and the rights of gays and lesbians to marry or adopt children.   We are all thrilled but ready for the long haul.  I like the Onion's headline best of all:  Nation Finally Shitty Enough to Make Social Progress. 

Here is what I contributed to the listserv today, after reading about a friend who had campaigned outside the high school where I attended my first presidential primary debate in 1979, mostly fascinated by Ronald Reagan's hair: 

 

I can just picture Miliann and Sangha flipping voters.... Having spent most of my voting life in NH, I have to say that seeing the state go for Obama and elect Jean Shaheen was one of the many exhilarating moments of the last few days. Living now in western PA reminds me of the 1970s and 80s in NH, where deep-seated racism and fear of government masquerade as "independence." I am so glad that all the hard work in both states and across the country paid off, that so many younger voters turned out, that McCain was, finally, gracious, and that Obama clearly understands what lies ahead of us. We face a long haul and continued work examining the nature of inequality and the goals of a democracy --- and part of me wishes I were back in Massachusetts, where socialism isn't necessarily a dirty word, gays and lesbians can get married, and smoking pot isn't such a huge offense.