No one likes sore losers. They’re pouty, pathetic and turn the competitive spirit of any activity irreparably sour. If you think nothing is worse than a sore loser, imagine a group of sore losers who post their frustrations on Tumblr. Such is what I encountered days after President Obama’s re-election. The “White People Mourning Romney” Tumblr page blogged pictures of crowds crying at Romney’s headquarters on election night, as well as racist comments about the impending death of America at the hands of President Obama.
Despite the fact that Romney did not have a concession speech prepared, he certainly handled his loss with more grace than his supporters, who took to the Internet to express their frustrations about the wayward path the country was headed for under the continued leadership of a black president. Whether the Tumblr page was a joke or the act of Romney-loving racists, it told a sad truth: ignorance in this country is alive and kicking us back into the dark ages of American history.
It was understandable when the nation found itself divided between President Obama and John McCain in 2008. Although Obama had not been the first African American to run for the Oval Office, he seemed to be the first one with real momentum and a real chance at winning. For many who were accustomed to the traditional Caucasian Protestant male as president, the possibility of a non-white in the White House seemed daunting.
On the other hand, minorities, African Americans in particular, were thrilled at the prospect of someone in the White House who could identify with them as a member of the non-white majority in America. Barack Obama was not the Messiah, but for many who dreamed of seeing an African-American president, Obama wore a halo.
It seemed reasonable that the process of voting at the time rested more on racial identification as opposed to which candidate had a greater vision for America. Obama’s victory in 2008 proved not that racism had perished, but that the people of America were collectively striving towards a future of tolerance, acceptance and appreciating difference. We as a nation were not simply talking about being progressive, but in electing President Obama were working toward it.
However, four years later, the country still found itself divided between two presidential candidates, not as a result of their policies, but due to their respective races. Making the decision of who should be commander-in-chief should not depend on race or any kind of personal identification that renders bias.
Just how progressive can we call ourselves as a nation if issues such as racism, sexism and all the other –isms that were prevalent during our country’s founding still play key roles in how we live today? In order to take pride in our country, we must first make changes of which we can be proud.
Although a few of those changes were made on Election Day, with Tammy Baldwin as the first openly gay senator and states like Maine and Maryland legalizing gay marriage, more needs to be done. More people need to be educated and introduced to people and ideas that differ from their own.
Even though it’s cliché to say united we stand and divided we fall, in the case of America’s longevity, the statement couldn’t be more true. America’s second revolution has to begin, and it needs to begin with us. Otherwise, I’m moving to Canada.