Dear Socha,
Last night we saw President Barack Obama win re-election for another 4 years as our country's leader. Your Dad and I couldn't be happier! We also saw Elizabeth Warren become Massachusett's first female senator. Again, we couldn't be happier! Tammy Baldwin will become the senate's first openly gay or lesbian senator (from Wisconsin), and same-sex marriage was supported in Maine and Maryland (we're still waiting to hear about Washington and Minnesota's ballot initiatives). John Tester is currently leading in the senate race in Montana (we're keeping our fingers crossed). What a night! We truly couldn't be happier! And we feel a large weight lifted off our shoulders, especially when we think about your future. We breathe a sigh of relief that you will have access to good healthcare, you will be paid fairly for any work you do, you will be able to get contraception if you want it and you will have the right to choose if having a child is the right thing to do, and you will have the right to marry whoever you damn well please! (Well, except for the fact that your Aunty Kendra and I have already arranged your marriage to her boy Jack - but we'll leave that open for discussion...)
Today, I can legitimately say that I am SUPER proud to be an American. We re-elected a fairly moderate president who will fight for US and we made some strong inroads to getting the crazies out of public office (Mourdock, Akin, West - I'm talking to you).
Last night, you must have sensed our tension, because you would NOT sleep. We put you to bed around 7:30pm, but by 9pm you were wide awake and very vocal about it. So your Dad and I grabbed a couple of beers and sat down with you on the floor in your bedroom and played with you while we trolled the intertoobs for election coverage. This was quite a calm party compared to the party we attended in downtown Bozeman in 2008, but no less moving. I didn't actually cry last night when Jon Stewart called the election for Obama around 11:15pm. It was somewhat anti-climactic considering all the hooplah about this election for the much too long election cycle. But, this morning as I read some of the news and read Obama's acceptance speech, the tears came. Tears of joy. Tears of pride in my country. Tears of optimism for your future Socha.
Be warned, Socha. Your Dad and I are major political junkies. Expect to get out the vote with us in the future. We take this stuff pretty seriously and fully embrace the notion that voting is a privilege and our duty (as Craig Ferguson said in an excellent monologue in 2008: "It's not sexy, it's not hep, it's not fashionable - it's your DUTY!).
Four more years. Then, Hilary 2016? :)
Last night we saw President Barack Obama win re-election for another 4 years as our country's leader. Your Dad and I couldn't be happier! We also saw Elizabeth Warren become Massachusett's first female senator. Again, we couldn't be happier! Tammy Baldwin will become the senate's first openly gay or lesbian senator (from Wisconsin), and same-sex marriage was supported in Maine and Maryland (we're still waiting to hear about Washington and Minnesota's ballot initiatives). John Tester is currently leading in the senate race in Montana (we're keeping our fingers crossed). What a night! We truly couldn't be happier! And we feel a large weight lifted off our shoulders, especially when we think about your future. We breathe a sigh of relief that you will have access to good healthcare, you will be paid fairly for any work you do, you will be able to get contraception if you want it and you will have the right to choose if having a child is the right thing to do, and you will have the right to marry whoever you damn well please! (Well, except for the fact that your Aunty Kendra and I have already arranged your marriage to her boy Jack - but we'll leave that open for discussion...)
Today, I can legitimately say that I am SUPER proud to be an American. We re-elected a fairly moderate president who will fight for US and we made some strong inroads to getting the crazies out of public office (Mourdock, Akin, West - I'm talking to you).
Last night, you must have sensed our tension, because you would NOT sleep. We put you to bed around 7:30pm, but by 9pm you were wide awake and very vocal about it. So your Dad and I grabbed a couple of beers and sat down with you on the floor in your bedroom and played with you while we trolled the intertoobs for election coverage. This was quite a calm party compared to the party we attended in downtown Bozeman in 2008, but no less moving. I didn't actually cry last night when Jon Stewart called the election for Obama around 11:15pm. It was somewhat anti-climactic considering all the hooplah about this election for the much too long election cycle. But, this morning as I read some of the news and read Obama's acceptance speech, the tears came. Tears of joy. Tears of pride in my country. Tears of optimism for your future Socha.
Be warned, Socha. Your Dad and I are major political junkies. Expect to get out the vote with us in the future. We take this stuff pretty seriously and fully embrace the notion that voting is a privilege and our duty (as Craig Ferguson said in an excellent monologue in 2008: "It's not sexy, it's not hep, it's not fashionable - it's your DUTY!).
Four more years. Then, Hilary 2016? :)
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