Holy shit. I think America's going to have a black man as president.

[Shardik]

I moved to the south in the 60's and remember running to the water fountain with the "COLORED" sign thinking the water was going to be blue or red or maybe even rainbow colored. I remember Selma, I remember Birmingham, I remember Watts.

I remember what it was like such a short time before. I remember one of the first questions asked of me when a fellow six year old asked if I were a yankee or a rebel. I had to go home and ask my mother who said Missouri wasn't either. That was probably a good answer that saved me from an ass kicking at the time.

I remember the Neil Young Concert where he played Southern Man in Tuscaloosa, AL and the many that boycotted the concert because of the song. I remember...

So much hatred and so much resistance to change.

Change.

To rehash a statement of Michelle Obama: I am prouder of America than I have ever been before.






On edit: A link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WqX_cVz-Tc

and the lyrics:

Southern man
better keep your head
Don't forget
what your good book said
Southern change
gonna come at last
Now your crosses
are burning fast
Southern man

I saw cotton
and I saw black
Tall white mansions
and little shacks.
Southern man
when will you
pay them back?
I heard screamin'
and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?

Southern man
better keep your head
Don't forget
what your good book said
Southern change
gonna come at last
Now your crosses
are burning fast
Southern man

Lily Belle,
your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man
comin' round
Swear by God
I'm gonna cut him down!
I heard screamin'
and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?

[Shardik]

1. Thank you for the recommendations whoever you were.

I can understand why someone might not want to sign on to this thread.

I suspect there is going to be a reverse "Bradley Effect" down here this year.

[Bake]

25. I'm telling many of my white friends to "just do it."

"When you get in the voting booth, just push the button for Obama. You know you WANT to. Just do it."

And then I tell them, "You're better than this racist crap."

Bake

[wildbilln864]

27. I'm a white man in the south...

of Carolina and I'll be proudly voting for Obama/Biden '08! :headbang: k&r!

[zeemike]

2. I remember too.

I am a little older than you and was an adult in the 60s in the south so to me it is even more amazing.
And I well remember Southern Man and the flack Niel Young caught from that song and how it spawned a reply in Sweet Home Alabama where they said
"I hope Neil Young will remember,
Southern Man don't need him around"
Well the day of the white supremacy is over, and those same people that are still alive must now deal with it.
It is about frigging time.

[Shardik]

5. I knew one of the guys from the later Lynyrd Skinyrd and the song was for money.

In that they knew the populace down here. From Wikipedia:

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote their song "Sweet Home Alabama" in response to "Southern Man" and "Alabama" from Neil's 1972 album Harvest. Young has said that he is a fan of both "Sweet Home Alabama" and Ronnie Van Zant, the lead vocalist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. "They play like they mean it," Young said in 1976, "I'm proud to have my name in a song like theirs".<1> Young has also been known to play "Sweet Home Alabama" in concert occasionally. To demonstrate this camaraderie, Van Zant frequently wore a Neil Young Tonight's the Night t-shirt while performing "Sweet Home Alabama".<2> Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot can often be seen reciprocating by wearing a Jack Daniels styled Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt (including at the Live Rust concert.)

[zeemike]

7. Actually I liked Lynyrd Skinyrd

Sent to see them in concert in Mobil Alabama sometime in the mid 70s.

[road2000]

47. I would have been there,

reviewing that concert for the local newspaper. Thumbs down. People in their twenties in the '70s hated Lynyrd Skynrd. All 'cept for the rednecks.

(It's Mobile, not Mobil.)

[AccessGranted]

36. I'm African-American From The North And

It's Lynard Skynard LOL. Sorry, wearing my spelling police hat tonight.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. I was born in Georgia in the 50s

My Dad was stationed at an Army base there -ROTC. My parents have always told me how terrible it was. The separate fountains - with the "colored" ones sometimes being just a rusty pipe, while the other ones were nice, shiny silver. About terrible killings that were never investigated... When Barak Obama wins I will weep with joy. I can hardly keep from it now, at the very thought.

[Shardik]

23. Then you know.

There was a system there to keep people down.

Today, certain parties want to change the venue into a non-racial venue and re-establish a class based paradigm into a simple "haves and have nots" populace.

[Waiting For Everyman]

3. Just saw your thread YD, I'm please to "sign on".

I'm with ya! I remember how far we've come too. I'm already PROUD as heck of the Dem party, and I expect to be prouder still of the whole country after Election Day. But I'm not just proud because we've chosen a black man, but because we've chosen an EXTRAORDINARY black man. We chose the best among us, regardless.

I was going to post this in another thread with a similar sentiment (the saying about "Rosa parks sat so that Martin could walk"), but I "lost the moment". So since I see that you're a "music person" too, I'll add my other thought too.

In a way, I feel like Obama's election will be a vindication of, or an answer to, JFK, MLK, and RFK's deaths. Can't really explain that, but I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL81tPHp82g

[vssmith]

8. And just as importantly a vindication for the deaths of

James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman

[Shardik]

10. Those were tragic times.

And I wish and hope that they know what their efforts have begot.

[Shardik]

30. Great link.

One of my favorites which certainly shows my age.

[aquart]

4. This is me, stepping on your overconfidence and squashing it.

NONE OF THIS! Our candidate must be Truman, not Dewey.

[Shardik]

32. Sorry, my friend.

As well as you, I hope there is no Dewey Truman moment.

I do not suggest that anyone lie upon their laurels at this point, but I do allow myself respite in the polling data that exists at this time.

[RedLetterRev]

6. Proud to be Rec #5 and a born-and-bred Blue Southerner

most folks don't know that the southern Appalachians have been Blue and pretty durn open-minded. We've had to be -- everyone in the hills is odd :D When you're the poorest of the poor, you really can't look down on anyone.

I remember standing behind my granddaddy's easy-chair when I was a child in the early 60's, watching the struggles and the riots and the brutality of it all. I tried to comprehend it all and kept asking questions. My granddaddy summed it up this way: some folks just can't stand it when other folks try to catch up and have what's rightfully theirs. Mountain folk know something about that. The Blue western part of NC has always been stepped on by the red eastern part. Even during the Civil War, the western part almost seceded back to the Union, but Governor Vance either threatened to or actually did (I'll have to look it up) march troops west to stop the action and press the mountain folks into the battle. We've always been "live and let live" before then and the "real" mountain folk still are.

I know. I'm one and one of a vanishing and little-known and poorly-understood culture. But I was raised with those red-letter values, the ones the Fundies conveniently ignore, the ones of patience, forbearance, minding one's own business, of helping one's neighbors, and that respect and forgiveness travel on a two-way street.

Bravo for your post. I believe that love is the strongest force in the universe. It's the slowest, but the most patient. It takes less effort than hatred and is a much lighter burden to carry.

[zeemike]

9. I like your name RedLetterRev

There are few of those around, that think the Red letter words are important.

[RedLetterRev]

19. I appreciate that

In all candor, I'm a wedding officiant who's had a gob of religious training. I shed "religion" a long time ago in favor of "faith" and have felt a lot freer since. There's a lot of beauty everywhere and I see a lot of beauty in a lot of upward paths. I'm comfortable performing for Christians, Wiccans, Pagans... I even performed a Vedic ceremony this summer, the tender, reverent beauty of which was quite something. That couple and I became close friends.

Guess it's the way I was raised, to be respectful of whoever crossed my path. Y'never know who might be a Teacher or an angel.

There's a lot of plain-old, good common sense in those Red Letters, the kind of common sense my beloved grandfather tried to impart to me. When I read them, I hear a lot of what he tried to teach me: be kind; "please" and "thank you" are always correct usage; listen, and look both ways before stepping out; wash your hands; if you can't sleep, leftover cornbread crumbled in cold buttermilk make a nice snack; hug a puppy; shake hands firmly and always tell the truth, even if it's gonna hurt you; if you make a mistake, 'fess like a man, take your licks like a man, and don't do it again; it costs nothing to smile and say "good morning";... and so much more. It takes a helluva lot less effort to put something nice into the world than it does to carry around a burden of hatred and grief. I ain't got time for that. Now that I'm 51, I see just how short life is getting and how right Granddaddy was. I got here this quickly; another 20, 30 years will be nothing. The marks I'll leave are the ones I'm making now.

Be Well and Have Peace!

:hippie:

[Shardik]

22. As a kid I always wondered why the "Red Letters" differentiated

so wildly from the rest of the text we took as "gospel."

It is very nice to know that there are folks that stuck with that text that adhere to those red lettered words.

[RedLetterRev]

26. For a long time I struggled

because learning "religion" had really screwed me up inside. For almost 30 years I had no use for it whatsoever. Then, my bestest friend on life (who lives in Alabama these days, and calls every afternoon just to hang out for a few minutes of mutual (in)sanity) said I needed just to climb down and step back. He told me just to take the 4 Gospels we knew the best (didja know there are almost 50 more, mostly in fragments?) and just read the red letters. Only the red letters. Just hesh up and do it. Leave all that nasty Paul stuff alone. Wouldn't take long, only a couple of evenings. They're real short books. See what I thought after that.

Durned if it wasn't 99 & 44/100ths% pure-dee plain good common sense.

Went right along with every other teaching, Wiccan, Buddhist, my granddaddy's good horse-sense, whathaveyou, that boils down to two universal things: the golden rule and the only two commandments Jesus ever made mention of. I note that he made sure to mention that the second was equal to the first (or "like unto" in some translations, meaning the same thing).

I still have to use for organized religion, but I admire common sense, decency, and equality wherever I see it. I admire brains and people with more of them than I've got. I admire hard work and people who've quietly done it without standing on a street corner (or these days, on TV) bellowing about just how goooooooooood they are. I admire people who can work hard and still make time to have a loving family. Those are the reasons I admire Barack Obama and the very reasons I want him to be our next POTUS.

[Shardik]

29. While I am far from what one might call a religious person

I find it easy to respect a person such as yourself. Carry on!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. I like your post RedLetterRev

I'd like to hear you preach :)

[RedLetterRev]

20. LOL ya just did right above :)

Now let's finish getting Barack elected. A lotta folks have been saying "eracism" (getting rid of racism) for years.

We've got a fighting chance. We've got a fighting chance to get rid of a lot of bad -isms. One thing at a time. Folks have finally woke up and realized that we're the ones we've been waiting for. Nobody'd gonna "lead us out" of this mess. We're going to have to walk out on our own.

And so we are. But we have to show up, wait in that longass line, vote, and insist that it be counted equally and fairly. Then ride those politicians like a rented mule for the next four years until they fix the mess the politicians from the last 30 made.

[Shardik]

35. RLR, you are a gem.

Keep on keeping on.

[tavalon]

11. He appears to be a really good man

One day, it would be wonderful if the color of one's skin wasn't even a consideration.

[flygal]

12. Here in Germany they call him der schwarzer Mann

Someone over here even corrected me last week on how many days until the election - they are very excited. Another restaurant owner told me - well another week and it'll be safe to move back to America :rofl:

[sellitman]

13. Jackie Robinson has to be smiling down on us too.

I can just imagine.

[mmonk]

14. Born and raised in the South. I have been to three Neil Young concerts here.

Recommended.

[aaronbav]

21. I was born and raised in North Louisiana in the 60s and

I can tell you ,as a "white boy", racism was and STILL is ALIVE and WELL in North Louisiana.

I fortunately escaped the area, and the HATE and BIGOTRY, but the great majority of my family are the same as they ever were - truly pathetic...

IMHO it will be a PROUD moment for America when Barak is elected - I just hope he moves from his centrist campaign "policies" to a truly PROGRESSIVE agenda.


OOOPS - meant to post under the main topic - oh well...

[Shardik]

31. I'm back in the red state I grew up in and can commiserate

While there are still many here clinging to those old ways there are more and more people awakening to more progressive ideals.

"Change, baby, change!"

[aaronbav]

51. "Change, baby, change!" WOW Great tag!!!!!

"Change, baby, change!"

That's one I would have put on a bumper sticker - In the area I live in, I'm afraid to put an Obama sticker on my car - afraid it would make me a target for the wingnuts.

[Pryderi]

15. Welcome, Yeller Dawg!

[Shardik]

34. Thanks.

I'm flattered by the recommendations of my thread and hope to see it go to the front page.

I'd like to think that everyone doesn't think that EVERYONE here in the south wasn't in the cast of James Dicky's Deliverance

[lonestarnot]

17. Yes! We are!

:D :applause: :bounce: Welcome to DU!

[Shardik]

33. Thanks.

It's great to be in the company of som any like minded people.

[trof]

24. I was born in Montgomery in 1941, and I remember all that.

I grew up in Birmingham.
As a kid, I remember sneaking over to the Colored fountain in a department store to get a drink just to see what would happen.
I was disappointed when nothing did.
"Their" water tasted just like "ours" did.
I didn't pass out or convulse.
That may be when I started to think "So what's the big deal?"

I remember the White and Colored waiting rooms at the L&N station.
And I remember a black man in his 50s addressing a 12 year old boy (me) as "Cap'n" and "sir".

We have indeed come a long way since then.
And we still have a ways to go.

[WheelWalker]

43. It's been a long time.....

It's been a long time comin'
It's goin' to be a long time gone

And it appears to be a long
Appears to be a long
Appears to be a long time
Yes, a long, long, long, long time before the dawn

Turn turn any corner
Hear you must hear what the people say
You know there's something that's goin' on around here
The surely, surely, surely won't stand the light of day, no

And it appears to be a long
Appears to be a long, mmm
Appears to be a long time
Such a long, long time before the dawn



Speak out you got to speak out against the madness
You got to speak your mind if you dare
But don't, no don't, no, try to get yourself elected
If you do you had better cut your hair, mmm

And it appears to be a long
Appears to be a long, mmm
Appears to be a long time
Such a long, long, long, long time before the dawn

It's been a long time comin' (Long time comin')
It's goin' to be a long time gone (Long time gone)

But you know
The darkest hour
Is always, always just before the dawn

And it appears to be a long
Appears to be a long
Appears to be a long time
Such a long, long, long, long time before the dawn

[Shardik]

44. I was lucky in that I had progressive parents for the time.

And you are so right that we have come a long way and there is still room for growth.

But wow. It's so great that we are on this new precipice.

[Lugnut]

28. I'm thrilled.

I'm so glad that I lived to see this probability. I'm too superstitious to count on it but I can't help but be excited. It's so right.

[AccessGranted]

37. Forget Joe The Plumber....We Have Sonny The Bus Driver and Peter The Ex-Marine

These quotes were on the front page of our local paper here in NJ today. . .

"So, if McCain is white, I'm voting for the white guy, period. People want to vote for thier own kinds, so I'm voting for my own kind." - Sonny

". . .What are we doing? We are going to put a minority in there? How can he go around negotiating with people; he hasn't been anyplace, he hasn't done anything." - Peter

Link: http://www.northjersey.com/politics/Stile_Reagan.html

[live love laugh]

38. I get teary eyed at the very thought. How amazing that this may happen. nt

[DiverDave]

39. A black Guy?

I'm O.K. with it.

Oh, and it's about time.

[newtothegame]

40. America definitely has it's share of racists...

but does this election redeem our country some bit in the eyes of those who think we're nothing but a bunch of racist hicks, and that we're no better than we were in the 60's? I was having this discussion with my wife tonight; the VERY FIRST African-American candidate that isn't entirely polarizing like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or Alan Keyes, and we are NOMINATING AND ELECTING HIM PRESIDENT BY A LIKELY LANDSLIDE ON THE FIRST GET-GO; how racist can we really be as a country if that is the case? That gives me a lot of faith in our country that I don't always hear around here. (on edit: not trying to start a flame-war here, just making a point :) )

GoBama 2008! Only 6 more days people!!!

[bixente]

41. It is great

And as years progress further barriers will fall between people due to sexuality, too.

Kind of off-topic, sorry.

[WheelWalker]

42. Holy Mother of Many.....we are going to Rock the World!

[unsavedtrash]

45. This Alabama Yellow Dog agrees.

:hi:

[Shardik]

46. Roll Tide or War Eagle, The times they are a-changing.

[unsavedtrash]

48. that's a big Roll Tide!

Yes, finally times are changing.

[bridgit]

49. groovy tuesday

:thumbsup:

[indep_kidd]

50. yeah

It's a huge step in the right direction.

I'll still think of him as half-black though (since he is). But since this is America that had the ol' one-drop rule I'll call him our first "Black" president.

I believe he will bring a lot of change to the country in the form of better policies, and great social change for the better. I just can't wait to hear McCain's concession speech.