Last night Emma and I went for an ice-cream run to the little grocery store in our apartment complex. When we first moved here the couple that runs the place seemed suspicious of us and rather gruff. But I used my not-so-good Chinese to tell them that we were Americans, and ever since they have been friendly, and giggle, amused, when I carefully pronounce the amount of money I have to pay in an attempt to practice Chinese.
So last night after we paid for our ice-cream bars the husband started to talk to me. I understood only one word, "mei guo", which is "America". I thought he was asking me if we were American, maybe he hadn't understood me the first time, but when I told him we were American again, he kept talking. I stood there with a confused look on my face as I tried to tell him I didn't understand. He persisted, and finally it dawned on me that there was one more word I understood: Obama. My look of confusion changed to one of recognition as I blurted out, "Obama!" "Obama!" he repeated and I gave him two thumbs up as we exchanged smiles. It seems that even a shop keeper in China is interested in the American presidential election.
I don't know exactly what our grocer was saying to me. Maybe he was saying that he can't believe we would elect Obama for president. But one thing is for sure: the entire world watched as our country elected, for the first time, a man with African heritage, for the most conspicuous and powerful job on earth. People from countries which hold no elections saw Americans choose a new kind of president and new party to represent us, illustrating that in a democracy, the country can change direction peacefully and by the will of the people. Even if they don't like the country's choice, the message is still there, that we are a free and inclusive society.
Like it or not, people look at us and often up to us. While it sounds nice to suppose that our election is our own, by Americans and for Americans, we can't ignore the fact that our choice of president is significant to people all over the world. For many, the election of Obama represents change, progress and optimism for the future. Beyond focusing on domestic policies and needs, of which there are obviously many, this election has given us a chance to shine as Americans, a chance to show the world how we really do things. Europeans, Chinese and Africans may not know or understand America's internal issues, and why should they, but they know that our country is not afraid to elect someone who appears different or out of the main stream. This is a powerful message to send to the world, and I'm proud that our nation has done that.
I hope that people from both parties will recognize the significance of this election, even if they don't agree with Obama's policies. That Americans told the world that a candidate like Barack Obama is their choice to represent us is both inspiring and humbling to me. And whatever my Chinese grocer was trying to say to me about it, he obviously knew that it was an important world event. On some level or another, he gets the message, too.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Well, it's been awhile since I've posted, and to be honest, every time I think about the computer it makes me tired. I never know if I can get into Hotmail, if the internet will crash, whatever. It's even been bad at work. So it just depresses me to think about it, and I have about 10 partly written emails in my drafts folder in Hotmail, so if you are someone who has written to me and I haven't responded, I appologize.
Speaking of being tired, Don and I have found it both strange and a relief to be out of the country for this election. I will admit it now: we are non-voters this time. We have what I think is a pretty valid excuse; moving our family across the world, starting new jobs and new schools for the kids has been pretty intense. I tell myself it really wouldn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things if I voted or not, but I've always been a believer that it is a citizen's duty to vote, and, well, I blew it. So I guess I feel guilty, is what I'm trying to say.
The reality of it is, though, that there are things about America I worry about far more than who or what party is in power. I am saddened by the political cynicism that pervades our society, eating away at our trust and diverting energy away from things that matter. When people assume that the "other side" are idiots or fanatics, how can real discussion of issues take place? When the first rule of debate is to call your opponent stupid, where can people go to weigh their options?
At my school right now, our third-grade unit is World Beliefs, including religion. One of the goals is to teach the beginnings of the skill of dialectical thought, or thinking about two or more points of view at the same time. This is a tall order for kids, especially when most adults seem to avoid this exercise in tolerance, and instead regress to labeling the opponent as deluded or unintelligent. As I understand it, dialectical discourse does not necessarily mean that both parties agree, but that each recognizes that the other has valid points to make.
I believe that engaging in political or idealogical name-calling, even on the ground level, does more harm to our country than any politician. When we no longer respect and acknowledge the ideas of our philosophical opposites, we diminish our own ability to reason and to persuade. It undermines the strength of our own opinions and lowers debate to school-yard bullying.
It's tempting to dismiss people with different views, but that is the lazy way out. Actually understanding another person's views is far more difficult, but the benefits are that we have a better framework for verbalizing our own ideas, and we are better able to persuade others, instead of just appealing to people's emotions. I believe that American's are capable of this kind of reasoned, rational debate, and long for a more civilized way of discussing sensitive topics, like politics and religion. My hope is that people learn how to think about more than one point of view at the same time. And they are welcome to join my third-graders as they learn how.
Speaking of being tired, Don and I have found it both strange and a relief to be out of the country for this election. I will admit it now: we are non-voters this time. We have what I think is a pretty valid excuse; moving our family across the world, starting new jobs and new schools for the kids has been pretty intense. I tell myself it really wouldn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things if I voted or not, but I've always been a believer that it is a citizen's duty to vote, and, well, I blew it. So I guess I feel guilty, is what I'm trying to say.
The reality of it is, though, that there are things about America I worry about far more than who or what party is in power. I am saddened by the political cynicism that pervades our society, eating away at our trust and diverting energy away from things that matter. When people assume that the "other side" are idiots or fanatics, how can real discussion of issues take place? When the first rule of debate is to call your opponent stupid, where can people go to weigh their options?
At my school right now, our third-grade unit is World Beliefs, including religion. One of the goals is to teach the beginnings of the skill of dialectical thought, or thinking about two or more points of view at the same time. This is a tall order for kids, especially when most adults seem to avoid this exercise in tolerance, and instead regress to labeling the opponent as deluded or unintelligent. As I understand it, dialectical discourse does not necessarily mean that both parties agree, but that each recognizes that the other has valid points to make.
I believe that engaging in political or idealogical name-calling, even on the ground level, does more harm to our country than any politician. When we no longer respect and acknowledge the ideas of our philosophical opposites, we diminish our own ability to reason and to persuade. It undermines the strength of our own opinions and lowers debate to school-yard bullying.
It's tempting to dismiss people with different views, but that is the lazy way out. Actually understanding another person's views is far more difficult, but the benefits are that we have a better framework for verbalizing our own ideas, and we are better able to persuade others, instead of just appealing to people's emotions. I believe that American's are capable of this kind of reasoned, rational debate, and long for a more civilized way of discussing sensitive topics, like politics and religion. My hope is that people learn how to think about more than one point of view at the same time. And they are welcome to join my third-graders as they learn how.
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