Cars, Cars, Everywhere!!

Well, E Day is here. The long-awaited, much-anticipated, highly promoted day that will possibly change history, as well as the course of our nation. Of course I am referring to not only the Presidential election, but equally important, or perhaps even moreso, the congressional seats that will also be decided today. The route I travel to work (the one that takes me by the Buzzard Farm) winds its way through back country roads, along beside a reservoir and across a lazy river before passing by a small volunteer fire department just inside the Jackson County line. I was delighted to see, just after crossing the river and turning the curve, that there were no less than thirty or forty cars parked up and down the highway, and in the parking lot of the tiny little butler building. This is the voting site for this area of the county, and people were standing in line out the doors of the building at 7:40 a.m. this morning. When the line of cars came into view, I found myself smiling, and doing the Yesssss! thing with my hands. As I neared the building and saw the people standing outside, I actually felt a lump in my throat. What a nerd I am. Had it not been out of my way, I would have driven by my own little town’s voting site, and I do plan to do that after work this afternoon. I ask myself why it is such and emotional thing for me, and I really can’t come up with an answer. It is emotional on several levels- first of all, I so appreciate the right to vote, I appreciate the price that was paid by so many to live in the Land Of The Free and the Home Of The Brave. Regardless of her faults, and there are many, I do love my country, and I’m one who can’t even sing the national anthem at a football game because of the lump in my throat. I’m the one who tears up just looking at photos of Arlington. A flag-draped coffin sends me over the edge. However, voting is not only a privilege and a right, paid for by the blood of our forefathers, it is a responsibility. One that I take very seriously, especially so this year. What is so significant about this year? Well, anybody who turns on the tv, radio, reads a newspaper or magazine is aware that history has already been made, by the fact that an African-American is only a few electoral votes away from being our next President. Should it matter that he is African-American? No. Not to me. I have long said that there were two black people for whom I would not hesitate to cast my vote (though I must admit disappointment that one of them recently endorsed Obama). The only reason it matters to me that he is African-American, is that it matters a great deal to the black community. In my earlier postings I have lamented the fact that black folks will vote for him because his is black, and some white folks will vote against him because he is black. That definitely raises my emotions- to the point of disgust. I guess I should just accept the fact that there is a segment of the black population who would rather elect Brian Nichols (a black inmate who escaped the deputy on the way into the courtroom, shot and killed a judge, a court reporter, a sheriff’s deputy, and a federal agent) as president because he is black rather than the most qualified white candidate that could be found. I truly believe that at this point in time (this segment of) black America is voting (many of them for the first time ever!) simply because Obama is black. Doesn’t make me a racist to say that, it makes them racist to do it. And it makes me sorry, because for the working black person, as well as the rest of working America, I’m afraid Obama is simply not the best choice. For those already on public assistance, black or white folks, then he’s just their guarantee that their piece of the pie will get bigger. Yep- take more money from the workin’ folks and give it to those who don’t have any. Spread the wealth. But I digress. Though I am hopeful of a miracle, I can pretty much guess how it all will play out. I’ll still be driving by my local polling place this afternoon, just to see how many folks are there. Silly me. I guess I just like those lumps in my throat.