As i spend the next 17 days counting down to see the short-term political state-of-the-nation I've been spending some time reflecting on the monumental decision in front of me, and I'd like to encourage you to do the same.
It was 1922 when Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia became the first woman senator and 1981 when Sandra Day O'Connor took her seat on the bench. Besting the fairer sex in both categories, in 1870 Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first African-American man to join the senate and it was 1967 when Thurgood Marshall took his seat on the bench.
I'm not intimating that being first in those offices will have any bearing on what happens that first Tuesday in November, Nancy Pelosi recently took a chair of authority that no African has yet held.
What i am pointing out is that progress in society and politics can sometimes be slow, but needs to be appreciated for its impact. However the election finishes, whenever counting and ruling have been hashed ad nauseam, the latest in 2008's contribution to historic firsts will continue. Whether the first-ever female Republican vice-presedential candidate is on the winning team or the first-ever African-American Presidential candidate emerges victorious we, as a nation, should take a moment to celebrate the achievement of both of these distinguished candidates..
Between media portrayals, pundits spin, bloggers ire and late-nate satire, it's easy to lose sight of the humanity of the players involved. Seeing both candidates roast themselves, each other, and anyone else brave enough to be in the room at the Alfred E. Smith dinner Thursday night showed me a side of both gentlemen that the aforementioned information streams simply do not show us.
Seventeen days from now this will all be over. Our focus should be on these accomplishments and the people who made them. I hope that will encourage some desire to find the center in this political storm that we're fortunate to call our home nation.
Sincerely,
Looking to meet in the middle
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