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A few thoughts on the election

I decided to try to encapsulate what yesterday’s election means to me, my country, and, being a foreign policy junkie, the rest of the world. Ultimately, I’m an American before I am a photographer and I thought it was important to share my thoughts. The thoughts below are long and not photography-related but I thank you for taking the time to read it.

In the build-up to yesterday’s election, I began to witness something special on the social-networking site, Facebook. Facebook allows users to post their thoughts in their “status” message. For those of you not familiar with Facebook, an example might be “Shawn is home watching television”. These status messages appear on the home page of your friends when they log in.

Over the last couple years, through my traveling, blogging, and photography, I’ve accumulated a large number of international Facebook friends. These friends come from places like Korea, Austria, Estonia, Germany, South Africa, and, of course, Palestine. Within the last few days, and particularly in the last 24 hours their Facebook status messages have exhibited a level of excitement, anxiety, and, eventually, joy over the results of the American Presidential election that was truly astounding. Friends from all over the world were interrupting their sleep schedules just to watch the American election via satellite. They briefly wrestled with the idea of the electoral college and became familiar with obscure counties in Virginia and Ohio. Many of them have told me that they haven’t even followed their own elections as closely and anxiously as they’ve followed ours. As humbling as it was, I have never been so proud to be an American.

Let’s focus, though, on something that the Obama campaign has been reluctant to talk about. The United States, within 50 years of an ugly, yet liberating, civil rights struggle and only 7 years after a devastating attack on our financial and political capitals, has elected an African-American man, partly raised in the world’s most populous Muslim country, with an Arab name: Barack Hussein Obama. While focusing on this has been considered a loser by many on the left, I see it as a winner. Think about what this says to people around the world. To me, it is both the essence and promise of America. We’ve demonstrated that, despite the fear, fueled at home and projected abroad, we’re ready to turn to the world and say: “No. THIS is who we are.” We have proven that the world’s most powerful nation derives its power not from our unprecedented ability to destroy and project fear but from our unmatched capacity to build and encourage hope.

In June, as many of you know, I was in Palestine. While there, I had the opportunity to travel to the Palestinian city of Hebron. Hebron is a stark microcosm of the plight of the Palestinian people and the Israeli occupation. The majority of Palestinian residents live under constant encroachment and harassment by the Israeli army and heavily-armed Israeli settlers. Settlers often act with impunity in seizing Arab homes and literally throwing trash on Palestinian residents (see photo on right). Palestinian Muslims must travel through three Israeli checkpoints in a thirty-yard span just to go to their own mosque to pray. This occupation has been fueled by Israeli intransigence and, more importantly, by American money and political discourse. This has led many Palestinians to be, at best, skeptical of the United States when we claim to stand for democracy and human rights. At worst, it has stoked outright anger and outrage at American foreign policy. And justifiably so. But something amazing happened to me in Hebron. I met a Palestinian shopkeeper who, upon seeing me, asked if I was from America. I replied cautiously that, indeed, I was. Washington, DC, in fact. The man then smiled, extended his hand and said in his best, broken English:

“I love Obama. He is man of peace. No Bush. I love American people. Obama for President.”

I was blown away. After all, at the time, it wasn’t even certain that Obama would carry the Democratic nomination much less win a general election against a respected war hero.

There was something else he didn’t say, though, that I could feel from his gaze. As much as I’ve been saying for years that I wanted my country back, this older Arab gentleman silently told me that he wanted his America back, too. That, with all our faults, mistakes, blemishes, and transgressions, we actually just may be the best hope for justice and peace in a world that is so shockingly devoid of both.

Finally, I shook his hand and said “Shukran (thank you). Ma Salaam (with peace). Obama!”. I walked away, filled with both pride and fear: Pride in knowing that this man, despite what his circumstances would suggest, has chosen to maintain his faith in my country, and fear because I thought my country might ultimately disappoint him.

But, yesterday, that man’s faith got a little stronger; not faith in a single man but faith in a truly awesome renewable energy: the energy of the American people and the power of American leadership. As Thomas Paine suggested over 200 years ago, ours is a power to begin the world over again.

But, is it naive to think that one man can, upon raising his right hand to take the oath of office, wipe the slate clean? His opponents in both the primaries and the general election have suggested as much. And they’re right. It IS naive to think that one man can fix our problems, much less the world’s problems. But that is _precisely_ why I voted for Obama. Because one man cannot do it. WE need to do it. The energy and passion that this man has brought to American politics is nothing short of incredible. So, no, one man will not solve our problems. But one nation just might.

So I ask you today, as we all celebrate (or mourn), the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, to carry that passion and energy well beyond the 20th of January. This is particularly true if your passion and energy are in direct opposition to the course that President Obama chooses. Stay informed. Stay engaged. Keep up an honest fight. If our discourse and disagreements are based on reason rather than emotion, on hope rather than fear, and on intellect rather than rhetoric, we, and the country, cannot lose.

That is all. Thank you for your time and for voting.

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