Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Felicitations to my friends and relations in the United States

When I was seven or eight, one of the junior ministers in my church, in sleepy London Ontario, announced that he planned to travel to the American South for the freedom summer. My parents believed deeply in justice, so with their encouragement I got a quarter or so together, put it in an envelope, and gave it to him. I know the gesture touched him, because he said so.

Tonight, I went to a celebration in Dundas Square of the election of President Obama. Young people waved the Canadian and American flags together, something that I have not seen as that strong an affirmation of an American political development in my country for a long time.

Whatever comes, I want to remember this moment. Our societies, our nations, our people, can affirm each others moral achievements, and challenge each other to reach further, to exceed our accomplishments.

1 comment:

Rand Careaga said...

Well said over at "The Anchoress." She's a goodhearted and intelligent woman, and can be fun to talk to on subjects other than politics (she knows her P.G. Wodehouse, for example), but when she gets on a tear sometimes, you just need to wait for the fit to pass.

It is rather splendid that the anguished shame I've felt for this country over the past seven years might now abate, and I thank you for whatever fraction of your good wishes I might be entitled to claim on this occasion.