America, we have invested our thoughts, dreams and hopes into the present moment and are unwilling to accept any attempt to crush this opportunity for a paradigm shift.
History is now behind us and we no longer need to look back when a bright future is within reach. We shattered apathy, and we are on the defense of ideas and ideals.
Barack Obama stands as the president-elect after a grueling election process and landslide victory.
Obama attracted scores of voters and untapped donors with his charisma, public speaking skills and his consistently positive and tranquil demeanor. He targeted his message beyond the periphery of previous or probable voters. He built a campaign that animated young, first-time voters while registering thousands of previous non-voters.
Now that Barack Obama has secured the presidency, he now has to deliver on his promises, both actual and perceived.
As we prepare for the reality of this historic election, I digress into a plea, based largely on Allen Ginsberg’s poem “America.” A letter, addressed to America. Direct quotes and paraphrases are from the poem.
Dear America,
America we’ve given you our all, and now we are something. America, we gave our two cents on Nov. 4, 2008 — we finally made up our own mind. We deny disenfranchisement. We applaud organizational grassroots movements – even when they occur within the system instead of outside.
America can we finally end the human war? We don’t want to speak with an atom bomb. There is nothing clear about nuclear war. We are not pawns in this game. The repercussions require discussion, require disgust. Inquire, we must.
“America when will you be angelic? When will you take off your clothes? When will you look at yourself through the grave?” When will imperialistic ambitions be a thing of the past? When will we be an example to the world, diplomatically?
America, when will you be worthy of your revolutionaries? “America why are your libraries full of tears?” America, we’re sick of your insane demands. Your machinery is too much for us. Must we rage against?
“You made me want to be a saint. There must be some other way to settle this argument.
America stop pushing, we know what we’re doing.”
After reading the newspapers for months, everyday somebody goes on trial for murder. Goes on trial for drugs. America, now on trial for action and inaction.
“I’m addressing you. Are you going to let our emotional life be run by Time Magazine?”
We are obsessed by Time Magazine. We read it every week. Its cover stares at us every time we slink past the corner candystore._It’s always telling us about responsibility. Businessmen are serious. Movie producers are serious. Everybody’s serious but us. It occurs to us that we are America. It is our turn.
“America how can I write a holy litany in your silly mood?
America you don’t really want to go to war. You do not want to surge. You do not want to kill. America this is quite serious. America, this is the time to shine. This is the time for a new day, new outlook. A time for progress to progress. A time to unite these states.
“America this is the impression I get from looking in the television set. America is this correct?”
