August 28th 1963: Martin Luther King,Jr had his Dream, a dream that moved me far off in London and became doubly moving when he was assassinated on April 4th 1968:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”.
And so that dream was realized on November 4th 2008, as Barack Obama was elected 44th President of the United States of America. As he walked onto the platform with his wife and two young daughters- all four glowing and beautiful, a breath of fresh air- Martin Luther King’s words rang in my ears.
I kept thinking we had come a full circle. Back in the 60’s those of us who had grown up during the First World War had all felt the greyness of the 40’s and 50’s dispel and we believed a new world of peace and understanding was dawning. Then everything went backwards and we were disillusioned. Now at least there is the POSSIBILITY of a change; there is hope.
The different motives people have had to vote for Obama are irrelevant: it is enough that they have voted for him.
Viewing the ecstatic crowd scenes in Chicago on the television, I was struck by how the rapturous facial expressions reminded me of those of the awed acolytes in the film Close Encounters as they watched the landing of the spacecraft. The same joyous “glow” was evident.
To turn to local politics: also on November 4th, my good friend Susan Hartley stood for Santa Monica City Council but was not elected. An attorney and committed environmentalist (and co-founder of Treesavers), with clear ideas of the City's needs, she would have been a great asset. If she can be persuaded to stand at the next elections, perhaps then those dreams will come true.
Susan Hartley-photo by Scott Smith
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