I don't care who you voted for.
The night of Nov. 4 was as close to magical as anything I have witnessed in my 23 years of life.
I was one of those voters who was divided between the presidential candidates. After agonizing over my absentee ballot for weeks, I finally bubbled in the oval next to John McCain's name.
Last night, I found myself in the middle of Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando just as a victory gathering for President-Elect Barack Obama was ending. The thousands of people that had gathered got in their cars and trickled onto the sidewalk, but many didn't go home.
Central Boulevard became a mass of honking cars with Obama signs hanging out windows, and the sidewalks were lined with elated voters who looked like they still couldn't believe what had just happened.
Drivers stopped their cars to get out and dance in the street.
The president of the Florida Civil Rights Association ran up and down the street, dancing and laughing with anyone who was doing the same.
Hispanics cheered in Spanish, blacks danced on the roofs of their cars with rap music blaring, whites of all ages stopped to give high-fives and take pictures on cell phone cameras. Every color was represented, and I got a glimpse of what unity might look like if our next president does his job right.
Please, Mr. Obama, please live up to this celebration.
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1 comment:
I spent the evening at UCF taking photo and video of the craziness that was election night. I have never seen anything like it.
This was an election that I believe had unmatched enthusiasm to every other election in our country's history. It was sheer madness, but in a good way.
Two days later, I still see Obama signs on cars and sidewalks.
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