American Presidential election of 2008

It is great to live in an era when history is made, given the fact that we have absolutely no control over which era we live in. November 4th 2008 is one such time - the day on which a black man had been elected as the president of USA for the first time in US history. That marks the true beginning of the post racial era in the history of this great democracy.

On November 4th, during the day, I had a conversation at my work place with another coworker who is also an Indian about the ongoing presidential election. My friend said the majority of white people would not vote for Mr.Obama as he is a black man. I told him todays America is, for the most part color blind, regardless of what the media leads general public to believe. I said to him that history was being made that day and that the next day he would read that a black man had been elected as the president of USA for the first time in US history. And sure enough the next day we all read that Mr. Obama had won and what a victory that was - it is one of the most one sided election victory in the recent history of America.

I have been living in the USA for the last 12 years and I did not witness a lot of racial discrimination at the places where I worked or where I lived. But like they say 'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence'. So I can not say with total authority that racial discrimination has been completely eradicated from today's America but I can say that racial discrimination is not prevalent to the extent that we are generally lead to believe by media.

Every now and then I read about some oddball white supremacist gang getting bust or some old KKK klan member trying to revive that gang and getting bust. I have also seen and read about the sermons given by some black reverends who are stuck in the 1960s, talking about racism as if America is still living in the early 20th century. But all those are exceptions rather than rule. As a foreigner and as someone who has been living in this country for a while, my observation is that in present day America, racial discrimination is not as prevalent as it once used to be.

I heartily congratulate Mr.Obama and wish him the very best in his new endeavor that will officially begin next year.

Now on a slightly different note just look at this video below, of Mr. Mccain making a concession speech after losing the election. I just wonder if I ever will see an Indian politician conceding so graciously after an election defeat.