Change has come.

I spent the latter half of last night watching the results of the election and watching as each state went either blue or red. After California was called for Obama, the election was pretty much sealed. We have a new president in Barack Obama. I watched John McCain's concession speech and thought it was one of the most heartfelt speeches he'd given. He was very gracious, although his supporters were a bit obnoxious for booing anytime Obama's name was mentioned. I admire McCain for his years of service to this country, especially his years as a POW. I even felt a little sorry for the guy; his dreams of presidential glory faded, once again.

A couple more states turned blue, widening the lead Obama had over McCain. Then it was time for the new president-elect to speak. What has always impressed me about Obama has been his cool demeanor and how he has inspired hope in so many. He is humble, not boastful, and he acknowledges his roots and the plight of Americans through the years. He has a vision to unite America, and I hope that we all work together to achieve that goal. I commented to Mike about how amazing this all is, and I am so excited for the years to come. There was a lot of talk about race with this election, and I'm happy that my little nieces and nephews, my future children, my little cousins...they will all grow up in a world where the color of one's skin will not be an issue. They will value strength of character and appreciate ethnicity, instead of being afraid of it. As an Asian-American who has struggled with stereotypes and racism in the past, I am appreciative of this new hope of equality for the next generation.