Op-Ed: Obama Wins, Is America Ready?

Tonight history was made with the first black name elected President of the United States. Are Americans ready or does it make a difference the colour of Obama's skin? "We can't go back to the way things were........" Obama's acceptance speech

It would be nice to think that the United States has moved past the days of bigotry that plagued the nation. The days of separate washrooms have long since past but as a fairly young woman those lines to use a toilet depending on the pigmentation of one's skin were still in place. I grew up in the South. Prejudice was a way of life. Archie Bunker sat in many a lazy-boy spouting words of hatred to their kids while relaxing at night. It's a long road that has only in recent times had roadblocks put in. The Klan is still alive and well visiting schools to recruit the young to join their hooded activities. The high school I graduated from had one black student teacher. She had to deal with idiots placing Klan pamphlets on her desk. Have we changed in the past 25 years? As Barack Obama tells us that in America anything is possible does his words ring of truth or of a dream yet to be? I hope so. I hope that the fact that Obama's skin is dark won't matter. That his actions are judged on how he performs. I hope that race finally isn't a gauge of the value a person. I hope that idiots don't try to harm a good man. I hope that the United States will make a come back in the world. That the nation will gain respect as a fair world power. That the nation starts again to move forward. I hope that promises made will be promises kept. I hope that people will have health coverage. I hope that dreams do come true. Get ready Americans, the world is about to change. Let's hope we're ready. "We rise or fall as one nation." Barack Obama