I made a relatively easy drive to the Accokeek public library where I waited in line for close to 1.5 hours (compared to my 15 minutes in prior elections at my old voting grounds, the Accokeek fire house).
I was glad I had a book and glad I stopped at starbucks. I wasn't too happy about the rain, or the fact that I lacked an umbrella. But, it was worth it. A gentleman in front of me, obviously an immigrant from an African nation with his two young children was standing in front of me. Seeing him made me think of my family and how great this country really is. My mom is an immigrant, making me a first generation American. My mom also became a US citizen about 5 years ago and cast an absentee ballot from Thailand for this election. There is a bit of irony on this given Thailand's current political uncertainty.
So many people still come to this country to dream. So many people around the globe are watching this election as we participate. Last week in one of my classes, Mohammed, a classmate from Saudi said it best "we watch because something like this would not happen anywhere else in the world. Blacks and women did not have equal rights until past the middle of the last century and now they have the opportunity to lead. This would not happen anywhere else in the world."
