From ninshubur at the orange place:
First, there was the doorman at the Soho Grand Hotel, where we spent our enchanted wedding night. As he ushered us into us cab in the morning, he admitted that he was less concerned about whether his taxes go up or down than he was about our standing in the world. It turns out he works part of the year in Ghana, coaching a soccer team.
"You used to drive through the streets and see posters everywhere of Osama bin Laden," he told us. "He was the first person people felt represented them in the world." Now all of the posters have been replaced -- with posters of Obama. "It makes them feel completely differently about America that a half-African black man could be elected president of this country."
America's makeover would be instant.
More:
After a friendly half hour in the slowly creeping line, a young black man drove up and helped an elderly black man out of his car. "Go on, grandad," he said. "They'll let you go first. Just tell them you have a hard time standing."
"Oh, all right," said the older man. He wore a loosely perched baseball cap, and a light brown canvas jacket. He could hardly walk, but he was smiling wide, laughing and joking as he came forward on his grandson's arm. We all made way for him without a word.
"I guess I gotta get past you," he said to us, apologizing for jumping in ahead. "I gotta vote for that black kid for president!"
The importance of tonight cannot be overstated.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
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