Yesterday was not like any other night. The Americans were voting to elect their 44th president. And being the powerful country it is, every single news agency was covering live from every state possible. They were competing with high tech devices to outcome other channels. Quickly updating votes and covering live from both parties, Obama's and McCain's.
It was actually 4:00am in Dublin which is 6:00am in Cairo, yet they were both covering live from the US. As a matter of fact, democrats in Dublin were gathered in a bar watching the results together until 5:00am !!! ON A TUESDAY NIGHT !!! That's not normal over here for people who don't know :D.
I myself was watching and couldn't sleep till they announced that Barack Obama is the new US president. I found a HUGE smile upon my face and my heart jumping from joy. Which actually made me stop. What the hell was I happy about? I'm not American. I'm a proud Egyptian, I've always been and forever will be. Then why am I this happy.
During McCain's speech, he said that Obama inspires for hope. I really felt that.
When this tall dark man walked out to the stage with all Chicago screaming with joy, I couldn't help but admire him. This man beat the records of winning American votes !! He is the first black president and will forever be remembered in history. All this makes sense, yet does not relate to me by any means.
But it does. While every African American heard his speech with tears of joy running down their faces, proud of him and happy that they lived to see the day that America is ruled by a person they could relate to, a person that would understand the rough times they suffered, I was hearing him and hoping for change. I see in that man change and not just because his campaign was declaring that.
I was relating to him, and not because he has Islamic heritage, but because he's African American. Because he knows what it's like to be a minority, what it's like to be discriminated and that's exactly what we are suffering from now.
I'm hoping that he does make a change. Even if it's not affecting the Middle East directly, at least changing the image of America, which has been so deeply ruined, that they themselves fear what they hear.
I know that the media will never stop affecting both sides, Americans and Middle Eastern, but I'm hoping that at least things will change for Arab Americans. That's the tiniest hope anyone could ask for.
I'm secretly hoping that I will live to see the day my country witnesses such a thrill and hope.
I'm hoping that he does change America and hoping he fixes the economy quickly !!! WE NEED JOBS PEOPLE !!! :D
Now '08 will forever be a historical year. It's the year where a black man rules America, and even more importantly, it's our graduating year :D ... forever in the history books FCIS '08 !! Mark my words ... great things will happen because of us :D.
