Presidential election inspires action

By Editorial

Our generation inarguably witnessed history on Nov. 4. More importantly, our generation was largely responsible for the momentous decision we all witnessed.

We have been called the colorblind generation, and cultural experts would tell us we look at a candidate's personality before his race and sex.

Though some could argue that this election has been too long in the waiting, America has come a long way in just the last 50 years.

Though the 15th amendment, which granted African-Americans the right to vote, was ratified in 1870, this promise would only be realized after the long Civil Rights battle of the 1960s.

In 1965, the Voting Rights Act rebutted the refusal of African-American voting rights and the Jim Crow separate but equal mandate was finally put to rest.

Meanwhile, African-Americans and whites were institutionally kept apart in schools until Brown versus the Board of Education declared this practice unconstitutional in 1954.

Regardless of whether you voted for the first African-American president or what could have been the first female vice president, now is a time to step back and reflect.

For many Americans, the election of Barack Obama gave them hope and and made them proud to live in our country. Obama's victory awakens patriotism for what has for so long been a skeptical America.

Yet we as Americans must not fall into the trap of patting ourselves on the back while believing that the need for political action on behalf of the disenfranchised is no longer necessary.

We need not look only to presidential campaign seasons to gauge the pulse of America's political landscape.

Our state elections are also critical democratizing elements of our society. Lets look at a few examples.

Here in California, Proposition 8 has now defined marriage to be legally between a man and a woman, eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry.

This is a disappointment, as thinking like this perpetuates discrimination and inequality in what has been known as a forward-thinking state.

Massachusetts passed a measure to de-criminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, while in Washington State, citizens have been guaranteed "the right to die with dignity" under Initiative 1000.

Colorado has soundly rejected Amendment 48, otherwise known as the "Personhood Initiative," which would have defined an individual from the point of egg fertilization and effectively outlawed abortion.

South Dakota also gave a firm no to a measure that would have outlawed abortion except under extreme circumstances. In Michigan, stem-cell research has been approved, while medical marijuana has been given the public nod of approval. The list goes on.

The media tends to focus on the bright lights and whistles of federal elections, which are certainly important, but we shouldn't fall prey to the idea that our local elections don't matter.

We need to acknowledge that politics are not something that happens every two, or four or eight years.

Politics is a living process. The elections that decide our legislative and executive representatives are simply a part of it. It is the duty of every American to be politically aware.