Yes, We Can

This has to be all over the world: Barack Obama has been elected president of the United-States of America. If you have not heard of it, then you really need to read the news, for that's history in the making. A black living in the White House. The youngest president-elect ever, too.

My English teacher told us the day after the elections, November 5, 2008, to buy a newspaper with Obama on front cover. Said something about Americans wanting to buy some paper, but it was sold-out: they didn't print enough for the population. Said something about the newspaper being worth a lot in the futur. I don't know if that's true, or even possible, but as she talked about how the world had changed, I felt a chill going through me.

That evening, when I went grocery shopping with my mom (which I do once every week to hold the bags), I saw a few newspapers left and I smiled. I asked if they were for sell- they were. It cost me a dollar, with the taxes. It was the first time in my entire life that I had an interest in the newspapers other than the crosswords and comic strips.

I bought myself The Gazette, thinking, yeah, it'll be nice to have something to prove I was there and aware of what was happening.

According to some, the USA elections don't concern me since I'm Canadian, and French. That's wrong. Those elections have affected the whole world. They don't call USA the center of the world for nothing. Obama being elected is a statement, is hope, and is the end of racism. Fifty years ago, black people couldn't sit at the front of a bus (heard of Rosa Park, anyone?).

We have come a long way.

I say, like the new president or not, you'll have to admit that anything's better than Bush. Bush, who has brought himself so much hatred from all over- yet it's Obama who will be shot, many say.

Obama didn't gloat, didn't make fake promises, didn't attack anyone viciously. He was humble and honnest, and I believe that's why he won.

The world has changed. Can you feel it?