Congratulations, America.

As overt celebrations wane and we return to face crisis at hand, I write this because I must acknowledge that still, not a day goes by I don’t receive hearty congratulations friends and strangers alike (just last night, la cameriera at our table) on our choice of a new president. No one is expecting a magician, but I tell you, the world is breathing a collective sigh of relief. We have not completely lost our marbles.

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America, America

In one fell swoop, we have restored our faith in ourselves, and the world’s faith in us. Yes, we can…

  • choose for intelligence, sanity, vision, reason, maturity…and grace.
  • blatantly renounce the fear and cynicism used to manipulate us for decades; but instead, invite those who are still immersed in it to join us
  • look beyond the color of a person’s skin for making a decision on how to vote
  • embrace wholeheartedly once again the concept of community, nationwide and worldwide
  • understand that this is America, the true spirit of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and that when we abandon it, we are nothing.

Only in America

Everyone says so, inside the country and out. All that is represented in this election is the torch Lady Liberty holds high, our value, our gift. We have once again reinvented ourselves, and returned to the pure, true spirit of our roots. We can be proud, but without arrogance. We are grateful, hopeful, determined, and humble. Humility: perhaps the greatest quality of all.

Obama will be a great president, but it will be a mistake to expect miracles from him. Those will occur as a result of sacrifice, cooperation, and a supreme effort to understand the other that will be required from all of us. Now, however, we’ll be able to take our cue from the White House. And, I expect, from the honorable John McCain.

We will not waste this opportunity. Not this time.

It will not be easy, but we can do it.

Yes, we can.

4 thoughts on “Congratulations, America.

  1. Barbara Snow

    And if we can do it, so can Italy! May Obama inspire everyone to elect the best and brightest their country can offer.

    Reply
  2. Venice Lover

    Hi Nan!

    First of all, there’s nothing wrong with Silvio Berlusconi, he’s been the truest friend to the US, his “gaffe” don’t bother me, because I find them funny-I thought his “giovane, bello e abbronzato” remark was cute, and a compliment-trust the humourless idiots to try and twist it into something it was not! By the way, Silvio is the ONLY PM of Italy who’s managed to get things done-and more importantly, to clean up the mess in Naples! There is no “sinistra” in Italy anymore-certainly not with Veltroni who is nothing but a dithering idiot!

    As for Obama, if you wish to see him as the Messiah, fine, but his administration is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING more than Clinton v2.0-which is more than a little disappointing, if you believed in “change”-this ain’t change, folks-and where are the women in this “change” administration, huh? All I see are tired Clintonista retreads so far! And since I live in Washington DC, you think I don’t know there are dozens of hugely talented Dems. that could not bring some fresh vitality to this new Administration? You betcha there are, but Obama sure doesn’t seem to realize it! Sheesh! I’m already hugely disappointed!

    Reply
  3. nan

    Dear Anonymous Mad (arrabiato) Venice Lover in Washington, D.C.,

    You are more than welcome to your opinion here. And, I would hope Obama would be interested in those hugely talented Dems you know. If I were you, I’d suggest them!

    We’ll just have to see how things go. It will take more than a brilliant new president to fix the mess we have got ourselves into by not paying attention to who’s been minding the store, eh? I hope your disappointment is ameliorated by changes for the better…for all our sakes.

    [removing previous political opinion in order to avoid inducing inflammatory respones.]

    Reply

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