Yes We Still Can…

The decisive victory of President-elect Barack Obama last night really does mean that, yes, we can appeal to the better angels of our natures when called. But in the context of this astounding moment of national pride in the triumph of open-mindedness, there are tragic stories of closed-mindedness still being told, even today. But as of this morning, drenched in hope, I think these things might now be true:

Yes, we still can…

• …persuade Americans who were spooked into being afraid of an Obama presidency because of tribalism or ignorance that the world is bigger and more interdependent than they realize, and that this is a good thing
• …make even the most culturally conservative among us understand that, at the very least, there is no reason to take people’s rights away from them when all they ask is to be treated equally in matters of love and family
• …remove the second-class stigma of social disqualification from religious and nonreligious minorities. Conflating the questions raised by Colin Powell and Hendrik Hertzberg (and far too few others), so what if a public figure were a Muslim or an atheist? 

I have to believe these things are still true. I am happier than I can express that Barack Obama will be my president (and I might be even happier that Joe Biden will be my vice president), but this moment necessitates that we look at our other needless prejudices and antiquated sectarian divisions. 

Anyone know any gay-married, Arab atheists who we can run in 2016?