A chance to change the world

I am sitting at work, staring at my computer. I’m on the net, restlessly jumping from story to story about Obama’s expected win, how he is perceived to have a massive lead over McCain in all the key territories. Mostly, on the British media sites I’m reading, there the the sense that this is it, this is America’s last chance to show the world that it’s not a country of ideological, fanatical isolationists but a country truly worthy of being the world’s superpower. The last chance America, as a country, has of regaining the respect of a world that it lost through a comical puppet of a President

I feel sick.

It will, in 12 minutes, be 9 am on the East Coast, and I can’t stop jumping from story to story. I have hope – an overwhelming, desperate hope, that is burning a hole in my gut and making it hard for me to breathe. Hope that the country that I am from is not as blinded as I am afraid it is, hope that my country will be somewhere that I want to return to instead of stay away from. And I am terrified that once again, everything will fall apart through lying, cheating and deception.

I believe that America is a better nation that it has been in the last eight years. I know that the American people are proud, patriotic (whether I believe in their beliefs or not) and kind. I believe that America has so much more to offer the world than it has so far, and that its star can continue to shine.

But not if we have a continuation of the hate, fear, and war-mongering that has happened over the last eight years. Not if we continue to bomb countries instead of talk to them. Not when the American public is lied to and deceived to drag the nation into conflict it had no business being part of.

For everything you hold dear in this world, get off your ass and go vote today if you live in America.

One minute.

Here we go.