What with Obama's inaugeration, and the "big change" for America, and the rest of the world. I just hope everyone will cut him some slack, and not expect him to perform miracles. I'm sure many people have the utmost faith in him, but he won't single-handedly turn the economy around. We all know that.
I don't doubt that the Hollywood biopic makers have already snapped up his story, and had it signed, sealed, and copyrighted - because it truly is an awesome story.
My lecturer told a very moving story today, about his college days in the U.S. when there was still segregation. It's funny, being only 22 years old, I really can't imagine what it would be like "back then" when white people and black people had seperate toilets. And theatres. And schools. So the list goes on. But Robert did, and as all good journalists do, he wrote about it, and read it out in class today.
He told us about how he helped a black student off a bus on the way to the same college, and got branded a liberal northener for helping "niggers". He told us about how they spat on his new shirt. He told us how even when the County Sheriff arrived at the scene, there was no hope because HE was told, "Don't get your hopes up boy, he's one of us."
This isn't some "woe is me" tale. I just couldn't do the story justice if I attempted to retell it in the same style. My lecturer has a big part in why I'm still so passionate about journalism, and his story (one of many we've heard) should inspire anyone who reads this as much as it inspired minorities in America today. People who turned up in the millions and droves to catch a glimpse of America's 44th Commander in Chief. The very Commander in Chief who's message across America since he became Senator of Illinois has never changed, and who's hopefulness is contagious. He's the one who has made us believe. Only forty years ago, someone would have spat in your face at the very thought.
For the first time in my life, I envy Americans.
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