Barack Obama being elected our next president of the United States was my proudest moment as an American. Over 65 million people cast their votes for the first African-American to become president. What a powerful, wonderful, historical moment!
However, that same night as I was driving home I saw the sign on Lake Street in Warsaw stating "Impeach Obama Now." Then the next night I read the letter to the editor that falsely equated Obama's election to support for communism and socialism. Finally, though, the next night I read letters showing pride in our country's choice, even from someone who voted for John McCain. I thought "there are reasonable people out there."
It is true; there are reasonable people out there. There are people who understand that despite our differences, we need to come together at this difficult time to support our next president. These people understand the need to support President-Elect Obama's desire to work for all of us, not just those who voted for him. But Gary Gerard and the people with the impeach Obama yard sign and the people who stole three of my Obama yard signs and the low-information letter-to-the-editor writers are not these people.
Gerard (who referred to those of us who supported Obama as "Obamaniacs") and those of his ilk have showed not just a lack of respect for President-Elect Obama, but for those tens of millions of Americans like me who carefully considered who we would cast our vote for. Why do they think this is OK? Why do they think that slamming us and mocking our ideals proves their point better? Why not work together rather than continue to be divisive? Where is the respect for each other?
At one of our most wonderful moments as Americans, we also see the ugly and unyielding side of people. How disappointing. This week job losses hit an almost 15-year high and some of the biggest companies in our country are begging our government for help, yet Gerard and others are still concentrating on what most of us see as inconsequential. That's fine, though. President-Elect Obama has said he hopes his policies will help all of us, even those who show their hate for him. He is a bigger person than I am, thankfully. As far as I am concerned, those who have opposed the progress our new president may bring should have to live in the economy that the past eight years has brought to our country.
Mr. Gerard - your column in this past weekend's Times-Union sickened me. Please forward this letter to your circulation department so that my subscription is cancelled and the remaining balance refunded to me. Your disrespect and smallness should not be ignored. I cannot continue to, even in my small way, support such idiocy. I am proud to be an American, and will not support those who are not.
