Things I'm Thankful For

There isn't really that much going on that's political right now, so in keeping with the season, here are the things I'm thankful for.

1. Obama being elected president.

2. That in this volatile economy, I still have a job.

3. I have a wonderful girlfriend, friends, and family who care about me.

4. My first semester at SJSU has gone fairly well.

5. I got into all the classes I wanted to next semester.

6. My debts are progressively getting smaller.

7. I get to play Papa to my girlfriend's kittens, the cutests things ever.

8. Filling my gas tank doesn't inspire panic attacks.

There are a bunch of things that I'm not thankful for (Prop. 8 passing, for example), but I don't want to think about those things. I hope that the wave of good tidings that comes with this season continues into 2009 with Obama's inauguration, and onward. I look forward to this semester ending, seeing who Obama appoints to all the various posts, and having a joyous Christmas and New Year. We'll see if anything else inspires me to get political on this here blog again. 

JFK and Obama

So I've been thinking lately about how Barack Obama could very well end up being the next John F. Kennedy.

Like the video shows, and as I think we all know now, Obama inspires hope. He also can speak as eloquently and impassioned as JFK could. He did also have about as much experience in politics as JFK did before running for president. Both men faced a more experienced candidate and beat them (though Kennedy beat Nixon by a very small margin, unlike Obama's landslide victory). I believe that, much as Kennedy came in and faced tough challenges during his presidency (Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, Nikita Khrushchev and the Soviet Union in general, etc.), Obama will obviously face tough challenges as president. Hell, he faces tough challenges from day one, unlike Kennedy (mostly). Both men fought their way to get to where they got to, and I believe that Obama will go down in history as a great president, much like JFK. 

I just hope that what happened to JFK won't happen to Obama. In an age of terrorism, the last thing we need to be worrying about is white supremacist groups getting up-in-arms because we have a black president, and then proceed to try and kill him. We need to focus on what is ahead of us, not focus on the racist past that we are still trying to put behind us. We should all completely embrace Dr. Martin Luther King's vision of a wonderful future. After all, one of those dreams has been reached by Barack Obama. And now, the future being full of possibilities finally seems true for one and all.

Elective Bliss; A Reminder

So things finally seemed to go the way that I wanted them to last Tuesday night (except for the Prop. 8 vote, that is). After eight years of ineptitude and political callousness, America finally seems to be heading down the right track to world diplomacy and re-establishing our global reputation. I'm truly happy about that. Barack Obama should definitely be able to take this country into a new direction, one that we should have been on a long time ago. I am very hopeful for his administration, and the chance to finally wipe the slate clean and start fresh, albeit with a heavy course load of work already lying in wait for the president-elect (economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.). 

But we cannot let our jubilance blind us to the cause that we have been fighting for this whole time. Obama is not the end-all, be-all of our problems. I was reminded this Friday night as I partook in a political gathering of sorts: the Rise Against show at the San Jose State Event Center. Rise Against is a political punk band. This, of course, means they are liberal, and that can be an understatement. Their music videos have featured things you might expect in P.E.T.A. videos. But they have always had a great message: stand up for what you believe in. Singer Tim McIlrath, at one point during the show, addressed the crowd about the election. He said that we finally did something right. But he told us we can't let that feeling stop us from fighting and relax. He urged us to unite as a community and fight for just causes. 

It is this spirit that is truly American. Our origins come from fighting for freedom(s), and we can't forget that. I felt McIlrath's comments were very inspired and honest. I hope that you all continue to fight for what you believe in. I know I will.

If you want to check out Rise Against, here's a link to their Myspace. They are definitely one of the best punk bands ever. Give 'em a listen.