The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Just A Man and A Boy, but Oh, What A Moment by wwstaebler

    By wws on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:00pm |
    One of the most beautiful moments of last night in St. Paul was after Obama's speech, after he had done the rope tour and was heading out of the arena proper. An Obama-of-tomorrow boy -- seven or eight? -- was hanging over the railing right by the door. Obama saw him, stopped, reached up, and rubbed his head in rough man/boy affection style. And then... Obama cradled one side of he boy's face in his hand, tenderly, for a long time.  It was not for show. It was just Obama, still able to be moved. And a boy, who will never forget that moment. Not captured in still photos, but there are some photos that show the boy right before OBama noticed him.Yes We Can.

    Comments

    Love this story - thanks!


    by Wilh M (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:08pm

    Yes we can.

    I had an interesting conversation today with a coworker of mine. As I passed by her office, she yelled, "Lis! Congratulations to us!" and I stopped and poked my head in her door and said, "Yes, Obama won last night."

    And she replied, "We ALL won last night." And because I met her husband once, at a company function, and she had met Billy (my black at-that-time boyfriend who is now my roommate and best friend -- long story, except that this coworker apparently thought Billy was my husband, which is vital to this story), she continued, "I know that you know how hard it is, even today, in these times, to be in an interracial marriage, and how complex the perceptions and reactions of others can be, and so I can't tell you how proud I am of this moment, how proud I am for my husband, for our kids, our extended families, and for our country."


    by LisB (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:13pm

    Last night was truly a great experience.

    I had a conversation after the event with WCCO political reporter Pat Kessler. (We've met on previous occasions.) I asked him if he ever thought he'd see the day. He confessed he thought it was far in the future, and we shared our memories of times when a black man in many parts of America took his life in his hands for trying to vote at all, let alone seek elected office. And how glad we were that things had developed this way - that maybe, just maybe, our long American racial divide may be slowly healing.

    And we shook hands and went on our respective ways, feeling better, both about and for our country.


    by The Old Grouch (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:43pm

    Are we just beginning to allow ourselves hope again, after the past eight years... or even for the first time? A world in which even people who are apparently different from each other are really the same? A world in which words do count, but actions really do speak louder than words?


    by wwstaebler (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:59pm

    I sure as hell hope so.


    by LisB (not verified) on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 11:37pm

    "Are we just beginning to allow ourselves hope again, after the past eight years... or even for the first time?"

    I am happy that a decent human being has a very good chance of becoming our next president, but I feel our government is totally polluted and unsalvageable. The fat cats will undermine all change efforts, and stifle the will of the people. The middle class and the poor will suffer badly for a long time before conditions improve.

    I don't believe Barack is committed to any significant change unless the people demand it. He's smart enough to know he can't change anything by himself -- he needs millions of us in the streets, all over the USA, shouting for change. Then, with our help, he might become one of our greatest presidents.


    by WRoss (not verified) on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 12:57am

    Wendy, Great story. Contact me at UPEI. There's a very interesting turn of events in Victoria that may benefit you. www.upei.ca


    by mmartinello (not verified) on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 6:45pm