I am a patriot.

I was born in 1968. MLK and RFK were both murdered that year. The city of Cleveland still smoldered from the Hough riots. Our nation in my early life was marred by the Kent State shootings, Vietnam, Watergate, the Iranian hostage crisis.
By the time I had become aware enough to start understanding politics, Reagon was being inaugerated and Jimmy Carter was sent to Germany to welcome the hostages back. The timing of the hostage release has never sat well with me. I have always suspected that GHW Bush played a dishonest roll in that negotiation. The Iran/Contra scandel futher fed this concern. Our nations intervention in Nicaugua and El Salvador while ignoring South Africa and the issues surrounding the Palestinian people left me to question our sincerety in promoting freedom. The invassion of Panama intentions also seemed a bit suspect, as the control of the canal was to return back to Panama within 11 years.
The Clinton years were good for me. However the deaths of Ron Brown and Steven Foster never sat well. The foolishness of Bill Clinton's perjury, behavior and the Ken Starr witch hunt left me still distrustful of our leadership.
I had been concerned with GW Bush since '92. His "election" left me feeling completely helpless. Any hope in democracy working on a federal level was vanishing. I do think he handled 911 with poise and confidence. I had hoped for a compassionate reaction, but I was realistic and understood the attacks on Afganastan. As the Bush adminastration began using our emotions to gain support for an attack on Iraq, my optimism weakened. The unbelievable failure during Katrina futhur cemented my absolute distrust in the intentions of the White House leadership.

The point I am tyrying to make in my look back on American history over the past 40 years is that I have never had the pride in America that I was taught I should have. I have never felt that we were living up to the promise. We were living on past success and our nation was no longer a model for liberty. We were relying on past glory. The will of America was tired and weak. We had been beaten down not by our enemies, but by our own leadership. Our elections had become nothing more then ceremonial. Democracy on a federal level seemed lost. Though I loved my country and all that we believed in, I lacked faith that we had actually maintained the vision that so many had fought for.

When the primaries began, I could have gotten behind Hillary Clinton or John McCain. Both candidates seemed capable and logical in the never ending succession of "Business as Usual" politics that we have lived with since my birth. Hillary did represent something more, but.....not much.
A year ago I lent my music to the Kucinich campaign. I felt Dennis would introduce discussion that I felt important. I had no expectation that his run would last long, but he shared my views and I wanted them to be heard.
As the Ohio primary neared, I struggled between Mrs Clinton and the young senator from Illinois. As I entered the booth I took a deep breath and made a choice.. I wondered if I had just voted for a candidate that had no chance.........I was however willing to go out on a limb to vote for not who I thought could win, but who I thought would bring real change to our nation.

Tuesday so did the majority of our nation.

I have never experienced pride in our nation like I have this week. I have never seen America live up to its past glory and promise of the American dream. I know there is still a long way to go. I know it is going to take time and at times it will be uncomfortable. But like anything worth doing, the toughest part is making the decision to do it. The tough part is believing that we are ready and able to acomplish the things we believe in.

This week we have made a decision to continue the true dream of America. This week I finally understand what it is to be proud to be an American.