Yes we ARE

Yesterday was in balance a good day for this nation, and frankly, by extension this world.

True, it wasn't a perfect day - the cause of equality took a hit in my state of California, a convicted felon may yet be reelected by the citizens of the state of Alaska to name two imperfections - but in balance, it was good.

We finally are coming close to the day when President Bush and Vice President Cheney will skitter off into the dark shadows of history, but the messes they and their party created will be with us for a long time.

There's a lot of work to be done.

However, yesterday we moved beyond simply asserting that 'yes we can'.

We CAN do an awful lot. Most people CAN run a marathon. Most people CAN live better lives. Most people CAN achieve nearly anything they set their minds to.

Potential is one thing, but we have moved beyond mere potential.

We DID elect the first African American President of the United States. On January 20th, he WILL move into a house built with slave labor. This in itself is momentous.

But as I said, we have so much to do, but I contend, with this election, we ARE on the path.

Even with setbacks to equality like the likely passage of Proposition 8, it is hard not to be encouraged that it was only 8 years ago that a very similar measure passed by a whopping 20 point margin. Even taking into account that the turnout was significantly higher in this election, that's still a stunning shift in the population towards equality.

This doesn't take away the horrible realization that a majority of the voters have decided to nullify EXISTING marriages - to have a majority explicitly oppress a minority - but it does tell me that equality will win - it's just an issue of when.

Progress rarely happens in a straight line, as yesterday demonstrated, but it's also clear that progress IS happening.

"Yes we can" is morphing into "Yes We Are"

I'm so proud to be an American.