Forget The Politics

Forget the politics - because this was a moment in history for us to remember.

August 28, 2008. Sure, it was the day that Barack Obama became the official Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America. Sure, it was a groundbreaking day in U.S. history, the first time that an African-American (or whatever the politically correct terminology is these days) had been nominated by any party to do so. Yes, those things made August 28, 2008 important from a historical perspective.

But I don't think that was what was truly important about that 50 minutes of oratory.

For the first time in perhaps decades, and for one of the few times in my generation, a man stood before 84,000 people (also a momentous occassion in U.S. politics!) and spoke of what is truly important about the American dream.

Forget the political innuendo, or the rabble rousing of the masses, or the "preaching to the choir of Democrats". This was about more than that. If you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent, put all of that aside for a moment. This was about what makes this country so special.

I grew up within a mile of the U.S. and lived within no more than a few miles of border for the first 24 years of my life. I was subjected to the U.S. media and U.S history and U.S. politics all those years. In history class, I was taught about U.S. history along with that of Canada. And in the midst of that I learned about the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, two documents that not only put a country on the map but also stand tall in the world of individual thought. It laid the foundation for what has since become the American Dream.

I get upset when foreigners hammer away at the U.S. Sure, it has it's blemishes like any other country - but it's not the people and principles that rile people up. It's the politics and policies of those we elect. I don't think that many citizens of the world would look at the average American any differently than the average Ethiopian or Brazilian or Australian (except perhaps in their beer consumption, but I digress). People are people, and when thrown in the sandbox together, we all generally do a pretty good job of playing nicely with each other.

If anything, I think there may be a root level admiration of the foundations of the U.S., those things that set it apart 232 years ago. Freedom, rights, responsibilities.The guts to "go it alone" because of a passion for independence.

And that is exactly why Barack Obama's speech was so tremedous, so important.

He stood in front of the American public and reminded us of what truly brings us together in this country. He reminded us of those underlying values that make all Americans proud. Freedom. The ability to build a good life for yourself and your family. Your rights as an American, but also more importantly your responsibilities. How about being thy brother or sister's keeper? Standing united as one, instead of fragmented as 303 million?

And he reminded us of a preacher from Georgia who had a dream, just 2 years less a day before I was born. Forty five years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of that dream, to whites and blacks, rich and poor, at the Lincoln Memorial.

I'll admit - I was deeply moved. I was touched by perhaps one of the few people of my generation to remind us of what that dream is and of our roles and responsibilities to attain it. I am hard-pressed to think of any oratory over my 43 years that has been so inspirational, so uplifting, so full of hope. Not as a Democrat, Republican, or independent - but as a citizen of the world.

These moments in our lives are few and far between. This stands as one of the important ones of my generation and the generations to follow.