Since no one can escape the big event today, I thought I would throw in my thoughts on Barack Obama's inauguration and presidency. First I would like to make clear that I am NOT a political person, any one of my friends or family will attest to that. I believe that politics, like religion, tend to separate rather than unify. For that reason, I stay out of the arena of politics and do not subscribe to any set faith, I have my own faith, beliefs and ideas that are unique to me and I do not expect anyone to follow it or subscribe to it, it is my own. But it is hard to ignore what is to happen in about thirty minutes from now, the first minority president. It is historic in the fact that for the first time in US history, there is a person who will be in power that is not classified as "white". I embrace this change, but I also realize that this is just a very small step for the US. It is an important step, but one that will help move this nation forward rather than back. What I eagerly wait for is a day in which people do not see race. What amazed me about this election was how the fact that Obama was NOT white was constantly put in the foreground. He is often classified as African-American. Yes, it is true, he is not all white, but he is half white, much like my own son and his unborn sibling, and it bothers me that he is classified by his non-white race. It's almost like because he is not 100% white, he is automatically NOT white. I do not see my children as Asians simply because they are not all white, but I see them as the best part of myself and my husband, the best of both worlds. This nation prides itself as a "melting pot", yet a few years ago a study said that our melting pot was more like a tossed salad. I take pride in the fact that my son and my unborn child are two of the growing number of members in this country's melting pot. I hope that the melting pot continues to grow and that soon race is something that is not seen, but something to learn of in your history class. I'm happy that I can point to Obama and tell my son that, like him, Obama is a "mutt". That what he learns everyday in school is true, that here in America, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, all possibilities are open to you if you work hard and want it badly enough. I know that in both of my children's future, people will want to try to classify them according to their racial background, but I hope that they will be able to rise beyond that and maybe, the world will change for them in their lifetime. Yes, today is a historic day, but I remember that it is only a small step, one that is hopefully followed by many other small steps that will lead to a future blind to race.
