AMERICA DECIDES TO BELIEVE ALL THE WAY

Every patriotic American today celebrates the power of choice. They had an election and made a choice that Barack Obama should be their president for the next four years but one thing that most Americans do not know yet is that they made a sober choice. Martin Luther King had a dream that someday all the people of America would be as one regardless of race or status and when I was watching CNN this morning I noticed a great difference between the Obama and Romney supporters. The democrats came in several forms, blacks, whites, Latinos you name it but the other camp sad to admit was simply full of the white Americans.

The whole world is happy with the choice of America. God has blest you to be one of the greatest nations on earth and with that comes the responsibility to exhibit unity and oneness. I was happy to see an America of Chinese roots holding the American flag in his hand and waving it while dancing. To me that meant a lot. America as we saw wanted a president who inspires and not just takes action. America got a president who first of all makes peace with the neighbors so that the American children can sleep in peace or haven’t you noticed that America has not been attacked by terrorists lately?

What does this re-election mean? I am a Kenyan and yes from the same tribe as Obama’s father but one thing I learnt is that our leaders are tribalistic. They claim to have these so called national interests and yet the majority of their supporters come from their native tribes. Mr. Obama has African roots meaning that African leaders can stop being tribalistic and corrupt if they want to. As citizens we can decide to wake up and  not be divided by our tribal differences  and instead  like the Americans hold the flag and be one nation under God not one nation under tribe.

There are things that have to die before something great sprouts up and Martin Luther had to die so that black Americans would enjoy the same rights as whites. In his success speech, president Obama said that he is thankful to all those who believed all the way through the hills and the valleys. He also said optimism is hope during negative moments. Americans decided to become an optimistic nation. They may not be perfect but they have hope. It is this same hope that inspired the pilgrims to have thanksgiving with the Indians, the same hope that made Abraham Lincoln try many times till he became president, the same hope that made Rosa Parks sit on that seat, the same hope that made Bill Clinton stand strong in the face of shame and it is the same hope that said yes we can that says we will believe all the way.

So as the world watches with satisfaction we say congratulations America for giving hope another chance.