The election of Barack Obama tonight is so amazing to me, that it seems almost biblical: arriving in the promised land after forty years wandering in the desert. I reflected on 1968 tonight, both in the historical and personal perspectives. I remembered the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the Viet Nam war body counts on the nightly news, John Carlos and Tommy Smith raising their fists at the Olympics, the riots throughout the world. I remembered going to the movies in a small Texas town, where the “Colored” sign was still displayed above the water fountain. But I also remember the Apollo program and the hope and optimism of youth.
Tonight, forty years later, I hope America is a different place. May God bless and keep safe our President-elect.