YES we did

For the past eight years, I have not truly felt what it is like to be an American, let alone a Virginian. Tuesday night when I watched my country make history by electing the first African-American president, I finally felt like a true citizen of the United States.

CNN declared Sen. Barack Obama as president-elect with 294 electoral votes at about 11 p.m. On the same night, Virginia – a major battleground state – voted Democratic. The last time Virginia voted Democratic was when Lyndon Johnson won the state in 1964. I cannot say this enough: we witnessed history.

Not only has America gone from slavery, to segregation, to race riots-voters turned the commonwealth that once housed the capital of the Confederacy “blue.”

America has proven how far it has come since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. No matter whom you voted for, now is the time to come together as Americans and as college students. Virginia voted for change, and now it is up to us and Obama to see that change happens.

The election of Obama means much more than a Democratic White House; it is also a new beginning. We have a chance to start fresh and build upon a commonwealth and a nation that is already great. For the next four years, we all need to work together because if election night proveN anything, it is that there is strength in numbers-that strength elected Obama.

Obama’s official Web site states, “I’m asking you to believe not just in my ability to being about change in Washington . I’m asking you to believe in yours.” Even though Obama is president-elect, it is up to us to come together, because if we really want to see change happen, we cannot have the intense and stubborn unwillingness to compromise. That division is what has been holding everyone back for the past eight years.

It is not possible for everyone to agree – let alone get along all the time – but we have the responsibility to continue letting our voices be heard. Even if the results had turned out differently last night, I would still be saying this. The American people have come unbelievably far, even over the past few decades; we cannot just stop here.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch Web site on Nov. 5 stated the Richmond police estimated more than 2,000 people marched up and down West Broad Street Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. All of those people believe in a candidate and they believe in the messages of “change,” “hope” and “yes, we can!” Thousands of people celebrated because they believe that message.

There will be a change in the White House administration, but Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden owe it to all the people marching through their cities last night and those who celebrated in other ways, to bring them the change that was promised. Prove to the American people that we made the right decision.

For many young voters, this was the first time they participated in a presidential election. People will always remember what they were doing when the final election results came in Tuesday night. If we are all powerful enough to make history, we must continue making it. For all those times we have been jealous of our parents for living through the 1960s and 1970s, a time of great historical change and social upheaval, we finally have the chance to make our own history, not just watch it happen.

With Obama’s victory came Sen. John McCain’s concession speech. For a candidate who led a campaign behind a party with a reputation for vicious crowds and, until recently, encouragement of mean remarks, McCain’s concession speech was respectable and eloquent. What was most respectable was that instead of being a sore loser, McCain took the high road and also encouraged Americans to come together as an American people.

In his concession speech, McCain said, “Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.” McCain also encouraged us to offer “our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences.”

Amid this historic election, McCain’s speech stood out greatly. If a man who suffered a crushing blow can get up on stage and give a dignified speech, we owe him our respect. Those disappointed because of a Republican loss should not be bitter and upset, as hard as it sounds not to be, but should take a note from their candidate and embrace the situation gracefully. We all wanted “change” in some aspect, it just happened differently than some planned. We are all Americans, and we all must have hope for the future. I can only hope that if the situation had been reversed, Obama supporters would be able to do the same.