Sherraye Speaks: Election Eve Thoughts

Well, folks, it's the night before the Election and I am so excited!  So optimistic!  So filled with joy...and trepidation.  I'm not comfortable...not yet.  Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

I voted last week.  I thought I would cry but I didn't.  It was strange because there was no jubilation or rejoicing like I thought it would be.  People were so tense and guarded.  Nobody would look at each other.  Not even the black people.  It was a little unsettling for me.  I mean, I didn't look at the white people because I didn't know if they were friend or foe.  Are they here for Obama or McCain?  And if they are here for McCain then they've got to be a bunch of racists because what person in their right mind would vote for McCain unless they were simply voting AGAINST Obama.  So we were quiet, guarded, suspicious of each other. 

This morning, I pulled out of my driveway and noticed that my neighbors had put up a McCAin/Palin sign. Immediately I got an attitude.  I said to myself, "That's why that heffa didn't speak to me the other day.  She mad about my Obama sign."  She was on my list.

Not to be outdone, I went and got more Obama signs and put them everywhere.  I have about ten Obama signs in my yard.  She came out while I was putting them up and to my surprise, she was chit chatty.  I just came out and asked her, "Why are you voting for McCain?  I'm Republican and I'm not voting for him."  She said, "Well, I'm democrat and I'm not voting for Obama."  I wanted to slap her. 

But then she began to explain why she wasn't comfortable voting for Barack.  She didn't like his health plan and she disagreed with him on his tax plan.  What she said made sense.  I disagreed with her but I understood why she felt the way she felt.  So I took her off the list. 

And then I felt ashamed of myself.  I realized I'm prejudiced.  Yeah, I love white people...especially white men.  (Note to self:  call my favorite "Something New" Ben Smith)  LOLLLL.  I still bear some of the scars of my youth and the pain of feeling that I will never quite be good enough in the eyes of white people.  But this is supposed to be a new day and a new time.  Things are changing.  And people have a right to vote any way they want to and we should not assume that white people are voting for McCain simply because he's white.  Neither should people assume that black people are voting for Obama simply because he's black.  That's insulting.

Some of my Republican friends have accused me of being a traitor.  Whatever.  Black folks said the same thing when I became a Republican.  Whatever to them to.  Nobody tells me what to do.  I am led by my own convictions.  NOBODY tells me what to do.

Anyway, I've ranted enough.  If I can hang, I will be celebrating the making of history at the Moon tomorrow night.  But tonight, I am in prayer for the country, for my children and for Obama.  To anyone who feels they can't vote for Obama because he's black...vote for his white half!  :-)

Let's make history!