Speechless

So, the Democratic National Convention has been going on this week.

We have tried to limit our time watching it, but there have been some great speakers.

The one that has stuck with me is Cory Booker's.  He's a democratic senator from New Jersey, and if you can believe the pundits, his time to run for President is coming.

History has its eyes on you.


Anyway, here's a passage from the transcript of his speech:

Our nation wasn’t founded because we all look alike or prayed alike or descended from the same family tree. But our founders, in their genius, in this, the oldest constitutional democracy on the planet Earth, they put forth the idea that all are created equal, that we have inalienable rights.
And I’m so proud that upon this faithful foundation that we built a great nation. And today, no matter who you are — rich or poor, Asian or white, man or woman, gay or straight, any religion or none at all — you are entitled to the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship.



The highlight is mine.






 
I've mentioned on here before, with some hesitation, my beliefs.  I do believe there is something out there bigger than us - gravity, the wind - I don't know.  But I don't believe there's an omnipotent being out there playing a cosmic Parcheesi with our lives.

But when you live in the South, as I have my entire life, you start to think that maybe you're just crazy for not believing in the Holy Trinity, or an Immaculate Conception, or Vacation Bible School. 

Being a non-believer in the South isn't easy.  People offer to take you to their church, which is different than every other church everyone else has offered to take you to.  I've tried a wide variety, and none of them are right for me.  They're mostly super nice with good music and a boring sermon. 

I don't know if this is the first such reference to Atheism/Agnosticism in a convention, but it was nice.

And here's the thing - just because organized religion isn't my thing, I like it when others live their truth whatever their truth is.  And so the next day, Cory Booker, a Baptist, responded to some of Donald Trump's vitriolic, cryptic anti-Cory tweets by telling The Donald that he loved him and would pray for him. I thought that was kind of great. 

And that's what I love about this country.

That and Michelle Obama.

Perfection.



 The woman is flawless.


And Bill Clinton.

Aw, I've missed your little thumbs-up!


Who is deeply flawed, but I love him, too.

Look, isn't that kind of the point?  There's room for all of us - the Godless and the God-Fearing, Black and Whites, Men and Women, Scoundrels and Saints.

To quote Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now".

That's it from me, for now.

ae

Comments

Unknown said…
Now this is why I have come to be an Allison fan...keep it simple but make a big point. We are all unique and as long we treat each other with respect, it "don't make no never mind" what philosophical bent we have.