Last night the American public fulfilled King's bold dream, and President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama picked up the torch and humbly declared: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."
Regardless of your political leanings, regardless of how you may have voted, there is no denying that in the blink of an eye last night, The United States of America redeemed its promise of being a land where anything is possible, where anyone can realize their dream, and where centuries of wrongs were overcome.
What a beautiful moment.
Posts
12 comments:
I wrote the same ten minutes ago in my last comment!!! Today, we all have a dream.
Yes Joyce: what a beautiful moment :'-)
I spent last night in Paris with American and non-American friends, we all could feel we were living a beautiful, emotional and historic day (night for us!). Listening to Barack Obama's speech in Chicago, I could remember my history classes in high-school about slavery, racial discrimination, the fights for civil rights, studying Martin Luther King's wonderful speech "I have a Dream" and closer to us, Jesse Jackson's activism. Seeing Jesse Jackson tears and listening to Martin Luther King's daughter imagining her father smiling from where he is, was just overwhelming. Today, thanks to Obama and his Fathers, the dream is going far beyond the United States of America. You guys can be proud of yourselves: "aujourd'hui, nous faisons tous un rêve"!!
And the dream came true ;) Probably , Martin Luther King didn't think on getting so far..but it happened and all the world has to be happy for it. In our globalization times, nothing that happens in another country can leave us indifferent and certainly , this is a very special occasion to celebrate !!
And the dream came true ;) Probably , Martin Luther King didn't think on getting so far..but it happened and all the world has to be happy for it. In our globalization times, nothing that happens in another country can leave us indifferent and certainly , this is a very special occasion to celebrate !!
(This may be too jingoistic, sanctimonious and prolix so I don't know if you'll allow the post but I hope you don't mind my sharing these thought. Again just to be clear this is emphatically NOT an expression of support OR opposition to any elected official. Still, Americans of all political views have to wish the President-Elect success because the success of our country is intertwined with his for at leas the next 4 years).
Yes, a beautiful moment and beautiful sentiments, beautifully expressed.
America and the idea of America, as anything conceived of and excecuted by human beings, has always been, is today and will continue indefinately to be hideously flawed. That being said, it has been since its inception, is today and we have to hope always will be in the future, the greatest civic conception in the history of mankind, and one whose principles, when it has been true to them and very often its actions (though there have always been and will continue to be many exceptions to this) have inured to the benefit of mankind. We have to wish President-Elect Obama the best fortune in leading this country to strength and prosperity because such strength and prosperity are of the greates benefit not only to American citizens but by many in the rest of the world.
I have been lucky enough to be able to travel extensively on business and for pleasure and have invariably, especially so in Europe, had friends and acqaintances harp on the extent and intensity of racism in America. While we have not even approached perfection in this area, I have always held the view, and have been strengthened in ths view by obsreving racial dynamics in Europe that there is no country where people of whatever race, ethnicity or religion have greater opportunity to achieve success and happiness than in the America. Barak Obama is absolutely right that only in America is his story possible. We have to wish him God speed in maintaining and hopefully expanding these possibilities.
How beautifully put!
You need to photograph the Obama painting on the side of a building on Alabama, between Travis and Milam.
being a resident of IL, i can tell you, people were screaming in the roads.. and at Grant Park of course. It was exhilarating.
On a lighter note, the person from whom I first heard about Barak Obama was the same individual who introduced me to the considerable merits of Joyce DiDonato.
The individual in question was in Obama's first year seaction at Harvard Law and subsequently worked with him on the Law Review. They were friendly in not especially close and kept in touch when she was in Chicago for a period after graduation.
This women first mentioned Barak Obama to me in early 2000 as someone with a big future, not even excluding his current attainment, though she is certainly surprised that this happened quite so soon.
This collegue also first brought your Cherubino to my attention (she had heard it in Munich). As it happened, we were both very busy when you were doing Figaro in New York (time could have been made but one doesn't necessarilly conclude that that would have been the last time - although with Mozart those things can be pretty dicey). It was not a matter of great moment at the time. She did encourage me to see you in Barber, although I was planning to do that anyway. Naturally I enjoyed your performance immensely and was able to go a second time. Still regretting that Figaro, though.
Anyway, just a little coincidence related to the topic of the moment.
Hey Joyce! Whassup?! No blog-news hopefully means good news, eh? Or you're still celebrating Obama? ;)
Or you're not in a bloggy mood?
I see it's your last Beatrice tonight in Houston which also means the end of "Dolce Riposo ed Inocente Pace" and time to go back to Crude furie degli ordini abissi ;)
Love every single tune/aria on "Furore" and very looking forward tou your concert in a bit more than 3 weeks from now.
Take care and keep rocking!
Cheers
I agree with Dolcevita, we miss you and are counting the days until your concert(s)!
All best
Madrid is waiting for you too :-D
Thank you all - and sorry I have been a bit absent! As always, I do the best I can here.
And how AMAZING to have reports from people all across the world joining in the enthusiasm for this next chapter in American/World history. It simply fortifies my feelings that the world is blessedly small!
CHEERS!
Post a Comment